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Oregon State's New Coach Turns Heads Despite Record
26 Sep
Summary
- JaMarcus Shephard navigates a 1-2 start as Oregon State's head coach.
- He previously coached top NFL talent at Washington.
- True freshman Jesse Legree leads FBS in receiving yards.
JaMarcus Shephard, the new head coach at Oregon State, is drawing attention early in his tenure. Although the Beavers hold a 1-2 record three weeks into the 2026 season, Shephard's coaching prowess is evident.
Previously, Shephard served as an assistant at Washington, where he was instrumental in developing a standout receiver corps including five future NFL draft picks. During his time in Seattle, the Huskies achieved significant success, including a national championship appearance in 2023. He then followed his head coach to Alabama.
Now leading the Beavers, Shephard faces the challenge of rebuilding a team that finished 2-10 last year. Despite tough early losses to ranked opponents Houston and Texas Tech, where Oregon State remained competitive late into the fourth quarter, the team secured its first win last week against Montana. Shephard's ability to develop talent is already on display with true freshman receiver Jesse Legree, who currently leads the FBS with 476 receiving yards.
As Oregon State prepares for its first season in the revamped Pac-12, Shephard is making a notable impact. The team's non-conference schedule concludes this week with a game against UTEP in El Paso, Texas.
