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Meet the FBS’s Best New QB/WR Combo

Originally posted on Mike Farrell Sports
By Mark Pszonak | Last updated Oct 5, 2026 9:59 AM ET

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Everyone knows about the combinations of Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State and Darian Mensah and Malachi Toney at Miami, but there is another FBS duo that deserves more attention. And that duo, Braden Atkinson and Jesse Legree, play at Oregon State.

Atkinson and Legree’s journey to even be mentioned in this group is worth a discussion, as both have their own unique story.

Braden Atkinson

Coming out of Rolesville High School in Raleigh, North Carolina, Atkinson was mostly ignored as a recruit by FBS programs. This was despite passing for 3,925 yards and 53 touchdowns during his senior season while playing for a high school program that annually produces FBS talent.

This led him to Mercer, where he exploded as a true freshman at the FCS level. Atkinson became the starter in Week 2 and set Mercer single-season records for passing yards (3,596), completions (268), and touchdowns (34) while completing 66.0% of his attempts. He also led the Bears to a 9-0 record against FCS opposition and won the Jerry Rice Award, which is annually given to top FCS freshman.

At the conclusion of the 2025 season, Mercer head coach Mike Jacobs left for the Toledo job, which helped Atkinson’s decision to test the transfer portal market. Unlike his time as a high school recruit, there was plenty of interest in his talents, including from Baylor, Boston College, Syracuse and Notre Dame. He chose Oregon State, despite knowing that returning starter and former Texas and Duke quarterback Maalik Murphy was on the roster. However, Atkinson pulled off a surprise by winning the starting job outright in fall camp.

And this was the correct decision for new head coach JaMarcus Shephard and his staff. He currently leads FBS with 1,851 yards, is third in passing touchdowns with 16 and has only throw two interceptions while completing 69.5% of his passes. He had an elite performance in the Beavers’ last game at Colorado State when he completed 31 of 34 passes for 430 yards and five touchdowns.

Jesse Legree

While he played his high school football at a national powerhouse, St. Frances Academy in Maryland, Legree’s recruiting process was rather slow. This was partially due to his move from defensive back to wide receiver prior to this senior season.

Luckily for Coach Shephard, he saw enough of Legree’s talent and potential during his senior season to extend his only FBS offer on December 1^st. Legree quickly accepted without ever visiting the campus and enrolled in January.

What he has accomplished in his first five college collegiate games at 5-foot-10, 172-pounds is nothing short of amazing. Legree dominates the national leaderboards, ranking first in touchdown receptions (9), second in receiving yards (741), and fourth in yards per reception (26.5).

The Future

For the 3-2 Beavers, the only future they can control is the remainder of the 2026 season. Currently 1-0 in the new PAC-12, Oregon State has huge conference games looming against San Diego State, Fresno State and most notably at Boise State on November 14^th. If the Atkinson to Legree combination continues to click, the Beavers will be a serious threat in all of their remaining games.

Once the 2026 concludes is when things get a bit murkier in Corvallis. As everyone knows, the reopening of the transfer portal window is a beast that no non-P4 program looks forward to. That date is January 2, 2027, and it remains open until January 16, 2027. Those two weeks will be a nervous time for everyone at Oregon State, because the reality of the situation is that Atkinson and Legree will be serious targets for countless P4 programs.

It is impossible to say what will happen in January, but for the remainder of the 2025 season, everyone at Oregon State should enjoy and appreciate what they’re watching.

This article first appeared on Mike Farrell Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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