Jeremiah Smith has made dominating college football look almost too easy. The Ohio State superstar is a Heisman favorite, a projected top prospect in the 2027 NFL Draft, and already rewriting the Big Ten record books. Against Maryland on Saturday, he scored touchdowns on his first two touches and moved within one score of a conference career record. At this point, questioning Smith’s dominance almost sounds ridiculous. But the numbers are beginning to tell a different story.

Oregon State freshman Jesse Legree has emerged as an unexpected threat to Smith’s No. 1 receiver crown. While the Buckeyes star continues to command national attention, Legree has quietly surpassed him in key receiving categories, raising questions about who is actually putting together the better season.

True freshman Jesse Legree has passed Smith in receiving yards and touchdown catches after his latest game. A year ago, no program wanted him at wide receiver.

“Oregon State WR Jesse Legree against San Diego State: 10 catches. 191 yards. 3 TDs,” Underdog CFB posted on X. “The true freshman passed Jeremiah Smith for the most receiving touchdowns (12) in the country.” Novig’s X post also added: “Of course Jeremiah Smith has been putting up MONSTER numbers. But take a look at Oregon State’s true Freshman WR Jesee Legree.”

Legree has the edge over Smith in most receiving categories, with 932 yards to Smith’s 916 and 12 touchdowns to Smith’s 11. Legree is also averaging 24.5 yards per catch compared to Smith’s 19.1, while his longest reception of 75 yards tops Smith’s 72. However, Smith leads in receptions with 48, four more than Legree’s 38.

That gap in total receptions points to how both offenses operate. While Ohio State leans heavily on short-to-intermediate volume to keep chains moving through Smith, Oregon State dials up high-explosive downfield strikes for Legree, letting him do maximum damage with fewer touches.

The Beavers wideout has 38 catches for 932 yards and 12 touchdowns through six games. He had 10 catches for 191 yards in the 66-14 win over San Diego State, and it was his sixth straight 100-yard game, a program record that broke the old mark Mikle Hass and Brandin Cooks shared. His breakout performance came at Texas Tech, when he caught eight passes for 240 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-24 loss.

For Oregon State, Legree’s breakout is turning heads far beyond Corvallis. In a rebuilding year for the program, having a true freshman carry the offense into a 4-2 start completely shifts expectations for what the Beavers can achieve in conference play.

As a senior at St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, he had 721 all-purpose yards and six touchdown catches. He had switched from defensive back that year and had no scholarship offers. Ohio State eventually signed him, and now, with four straight wins and 207 points in that stretch, Legree has helped the program to 4-2 and 2-0 in the Pac-12.

Though Legree dominated the board in most of the categories, Smith leads him in one category, as he has scored 48 catches, 10 more than Legree. Smith’s freshman year looked different as, through his first five games in 2024, he posted 23 catches, 453 yards, and six touchdowns. Legree had 28 catches for 741 yards and nine touchdowns through his first five games as a freshman. Only Michael Crabtree in 2007 and Randy Moss in 1997 have had nine or more touchdown catches through their first five FBS games.

Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard said the staff always finds a way to use him. “If the coaches have the right mindset about it, they will find ways to get him the ball,” Shephard said. The Beavers quarterback, Braden Atkinson, explained how Legree could turn a short pass into a big gain, making him one of the dangerous weapons of Oregon State. “You can give Jesse a 5-yard pass, and he’s going to take it another 70 yards.”

Legree is making a name for himself, as he is currently ranked fifth in the Athletic’s staff Heisman Trophy poll. Meanwhile, Smith sits atop the rankings, receiving the No. 1 spot on every ballot.

Smith still sets the standard at Ohio State

Smith isn’t slowing down, and Ryan Day has no intention of letting him get comfortable. His work ethic and discipline have helped him sharpen his route-running and consistency, making it difficult for the defenders to contain.

“If he’s single-covered, he’s open,” Day said of Sayin targeting Smith often during a presser, according to On3. “If he’s double-covered, he’s sort of open. If he’s triple-covered, he’s covered. Somebody’s gotta be open somewhere else.”

“We’ve got to keep working towards perfection,” Day said after the Maryland win on creating a standard and culture for winning.

Ohio State is 5-1 and 3-0 in the Big Ten, and Smith needs one touchdown to tie the conference record. The Buckeyes are set to face Indiana next, facing the program that beat Ohio State 13-10 in last year’s Big Ten title game, with the next game against Indiana.