The breakout freshman receiver, who leads the nation with 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns, bypassed the transfer portal to stick with Oregon State.
Jesse Legree has decided to stay put. The Oregon State freshman receiver, who has turned into the biggest surprise of the college football season, told ESPN's Pete Thamel he has re-signed with the Beavers and will return to play there in 2027.
The announcement matters because Legree had the kind of season that usually sends freshmen straight into transfer portal speculation. He currently leads the nation in receiving with 1,040 yards and 14 touchdowns, numbers that come with significant Power 4 interest attached. Instead, he is choosing to build on what he started in Corvallis.
Legree's breakout included a 90-yard touchdown in a win over Washington State, part of a stretch that has Oregon State sitting at 5-2 overall and 3-0 in Pac-12 play. The Beavers are using their bye week to regroup before conference play resumes, now with some clarity about their top receiver's future.
For a program that has had to fight to keep talent amid conference realignment chaos, locking in a nationally leading receiver before the portal even opens counts as a win in itself.