Pitt FB Recruiting
Pitt Junior Day Recap: Jesse Legree Receives 1st D-I Offer
The Pitt football program, spearheaded by running backs coach Lamar Lindsey, spent a great deal of time recruiting the state of Maryland last week.
A number of offers were extended to players in various grades and that continued on Saturday as Pitt hosted a number of players on Junior Day. One of those players was 2026 athlete Jesse Legree from Towson, Md. and this was memorable because it turned out to be Legree’s first Division I scholarship offer.
Legree plays on both sides of the ball and last season, he pulled down four interceptions, broke up six passes and recorded two tackles for loss and 29 total tackles. On offense, Jesse collected 721 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns.
— jlegree24 (@jlegree24) January 10, 2025
It goes without saying that Legree’s day at Pitt is one that he won’t forget anytime soon.
“It was surreal,” Legree told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “I dreamed about it (receiving a D-I offer) since I was a little kid. I always wondered what it felt like to get offered, and I asked people I knew with offers all the time, how it would go down so I’d know if and when I would get my first offer.
“The answers varied as I was told some would come over the phone, some in person, some on visits. But in my head, I was always wondering why I was overlooked because I’ve competed with some of the best in my city, county, and tri-state area. When I got in the car after getting that offer from Pitt, I realized that my dreams and wishes came true and turned into reality.”
The highlight of Junior Day obviously was receiving the offer from Lindsey, but Legree and his family enjoyed the entire day in Pittsburgh.
“Pitt was amazing and was way beyond what I thought it would be,” said Legree. “I loved the coaches’ energy and passion about whatever they talked about, whether it was football or family. Me being a Pittsburgh Steelers fan and seeing that they share facilities with the Steelers is crazy to me. So, the highlight of the day was talking on the practice fields of my favorite team.
“Me and Coach Lamar started talking about life and started to get to know each other more outside of the game of football. That means a lot because a stronger connection off the field leads to a stronger one on the field. Coach talked to my ma, and she said that she liked him as a coach and could see me there under him as my coach. He brings hospitality and positivity to every conversation no matter the subject.”
Despite being a standout on both sides of the ball, Legree tells PSN that Pitt is recruiting him as a cornerback.
