# Oregon State's Jesse Legree dominates despite winless start

> Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree racks up national awards and leads the nation in receiving yards through two games.
- Title: Oregon State's Jesse Legree dominates despite winless start
- Summary: Freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree racks up national awards and leads the nation in receiving yards through two games. Jesse Legree leads the nation with…
- Keywords: jesse legree, oregon state beavers, college football, freshman of the week, shaun alexander award, pac-12, texas tech, braden atkinson, wide receiver, 2026 season, sports, Oregon
- Source: Oregon State Beavers On SI — https://si.com/college/oregon-state/football/oregon-state-wide-receiver-jesse-legree-wins-wins-multiple-freshman-of-the-week-awards-01m2k78wmnt3
- Published: 2026-09-15T21:12:27+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: jesse legree, oregon state beavers, college football, freshman of the week, shaun alexander award, pac-12, texas tech, braden atkinson, wide receiver, 2026 season, sports
## Bright spot in a winless start
Oregon State is 0-2 to start the season, but freshman wide receiver Jesse Legree has emerged as a silver lining with back-to-back dominant performances.
## National and conference honors
Legree won the Shaun Alexander Award for National Freshman of the Week and his second straight Pac-12 Freshman of the Week Award.
## Explosive game against Texas Tech
In a 35-24 loss to Texas Tech, Legree posted 240 yards and two touchdowns, one of the best receiving performances in college football so far in 2026.
## First touchdown on a deep ball
Midway through the second quarter, Legree beat Texas Tech DB Peyton Morgan on a deep ball from Braden Atkinson and found 30 yards of open field to the end zone.
## Second score untouched
In the third quarter, Atkinson found a gap in the Texas Tech defense that gave Legree room to turn on the speed and reach the end zone untouched.
## Leading the nation in receiving
Through two games, Legree has 13 receptions for 376 yards and three touchdowns. His total yardage and 28.9 yards per catch both lead the nation.
## More awards from major outlets
247Sports and On3 named Legree their True Freshman of the Week, while Pro Football Focus selected him for their Week 2 Team of the Week.
## Other Beavers earn nominations
Quarterback Braden Atkinson, linebacker Aiden Sullivan, and punter AJ Winsor all received Pac-12 player of the week nominations in their respective categories.
## Montana Grizzlies up next
Oregon State hosts 3-0 Montana on September 19th at 8 PM, seeking their first win after facing two top 25 teams to start the season.
## Key takeaway

Jesse Legree leads the nation with 376 receiving yards and a 28.9 yards per catch average through two games.