{
  "id": 14914309,
  "title": "Most receiving yards in a season: How Jeremiah Smith, Jesse Legree compare to NCAA record pace",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/most-receiving-yards-in-a-season-how-jeremiah-smith-jesse-legree",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-16T09:00:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/most-receiving-yards-season-jeremiah-090002318.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The college football world has been captivated by two standout wide receivers this season: Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Oregon State's Jesse Legree. Both are leading the NCAA in receiving yards, with Legree currently at 932 yards and Smith trailing at 916 yards. Smith is favored to win the Heisman Trophy, while Legree is at +9000 odds.\n\nTo gauge how these young stars compare to the all-time single-season record holders, let's examine their progress. The top all-time leader is Nevada's Trevor Insley with 2,060 yards in 1999. Next is Louisiana Tech's Troy Edwards with 1,996 yards from 1998. Texas Tech's Michael Crabtree follows with 1,962 yards, and Western Michigan's Jordan White rounds out the top five with 1,911 yards.\n\nNow, let's compare Smith and Legree to these record holders after six games. Insley and Edwards, who didn't play in bowl games, averaged 173.7 and 223.2 yards per game respectively. Legree's 155-yard average and Smith's 152.7-yard average suggest they could potentially surpass these leaders. If both maintain their current pace and play an additional game, Smith could reach 2,137 yards, eclipsing Insley's record. Legree, with five games remaining, could reach 1,707 yards, potentially placing him outside the top 15.\n\nIn conclusion, while both Smith and Legree are on track to make history, the final outcome remains uncertain. However, their current performance places them in a strong position to surpass the single-season receiving yardage records.",
  "summary": "Where do the Ohio State and Oregon State stars stand next to the single-season leaders?",
  "key_points": [
    "Smith and Legree lead NCAA in receiving yards with 916 and 932 yards respectively",
    "Insley and Edwards averaged 223.2 and 173.7 yards per game, potential records",
    "Smith could surpass Insley's 2,060-yard record if he plays an additional game"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Yahoo Sports",
        "title": "Jeremiah Smith continues to topple records as OSU WR closes in on Big Ten TD mark",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/jeremiah-smith-continues-to-topple-records-as-osu-wr-closes-in-on-big",
        "published": "2026-10-16T10:08:29.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}