sportingnews
Oregon State receiver Jesse Legree has now won Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honors seven straight times, setting a new conference record. This achievement comes after just seven games of his collegiate career. Previously, no Pac-12 player had ever won the award more than five times in a single season, and Legree has already surpassed that mark while still in October.
The 5-foot-10 speedster delivered another impressive performance last Saturday, catching eight passes for 108 yards and two touchdowns, including a 90-yard scoring reception, to help Oregon State secure a 48-30 victory over Washington State. As a true freshman, Legree became the first receiver in the nation to surpass 1,000 receiving yards this season, currently standing at 1,040. He leads the FBS in both receiving yards and receiving touchdowns (14). Legree has gained at least 100 yards in every game of his career and has recorded a catch of at least 70 yards in four different games.
For these achievements, Legree has earned a spot on the Heisman Watch top contenders list, joining elite company. According to OptaStats, he is just the fourth FBS player this century to have 1,000 receiving yards and 14 receiving touchdowns through seven games. He joins Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon (2010), Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree (2007), and Pitt's Larry Fitzgerald (2003) — all of whom won the Biletnikoff Award and finished in the top five of Heisman voting in those seasons.
Key Analysis
Legree's remarkable start has positioned him for further history. No Pac-12 player has ever won any weekly honor more than seven times in an entire season. Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was a seven-time Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week in 2022-23, Stanford kicker Joshua Karty was a seven-time Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week in 2022-23, and Arizona State kicker Zane Gonzalez won seven times from 2013 to 2016. Legree's quest for an eighth straight honor will begin on October 31 at Fresno State, where he will look to continue his record-breaking campaign.
Originally reported by sportingnews.