Oregon State's 5-10 freshman WR is nearly matching Jeremiah Smith's stats

Jesse Legree is keeping pace with Jeremiah Smith for the title of best wide receiver in the nation, according to www.barstoolsports.com. The Oregon State true freshman has 741 yards and 9 touchdowns this season. Smith, a junior, has 823 yards and 9 touchdowns.

The gap in production is narrow. The gap in physical stature is not. Legree stands 5-10 and weighs 175 pounds. Smith is 6-4 and 225 pounds — half a foot taller and 50 pounds heavier.

The blog author at www.barstoolsports.com calls Legree "hands down my new favorite player in college football." The reasoning comes down to style. Legree catches a drag route a yard past the line of scrimmage, turns the corner, and beats everybody to the end zone for 50 yards or more. That's the coolest thing a receiver can do, per the author.

Smith does his damage with size. Legree does his with explosion. The author is more impressed by players who do more with less — and Legree is barely doing less.

DOING MORE WITH LESS

That's the style. It's a home run hitter, and the author at www.barstoolsports.com loves watching a home run hitter.

And it's not just the catches he makes. The author notes that even the catches Legree doesn't make are "out-of-this-world impressive." That's the kind of separation and burst that doesn't show up in a box score.

This isn't a guy running clean routes and winning with size. Legree is winning with pure speed and shiftiness, turning a simple drag route into a footrace he wins every time.

THE NUMBERS GAME

The stat lines sit closer than the body types suggest. Jeremiah Smith, as a junior, has 823 yards and 9 touchdowns. Jesse Legree has 741 yards and 9 touchdowns.