Jeremiah Smith emerges as Heisman favorite after stellar outing

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Although there are only two Heisman Trophy winners from the wide receiver position over the past 35 years, Ohio State appears to have a third one in the making.

Jeremiah Smith is arguably the most dominant wideout in College football since Randy Moss. Smith is putting himself together an impressive resume that’ll likely lead to a New York invite in December. The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is a mismatch anywhere he steps on the field, and Smith’s latest performance has everyone talking about him being at the top of the Heisman discussion.

After all, Smith made Iowa’s defense look like a high school varsity team in last Saturday’s win, with his acrobatic catches in heavy traffic. It didn’t matter if the Hawkeyes provided double or triple coverage, because Smith performed like a man among boys.

He showed great chemistry with teammate Julian Sayin too, which explains why the quarterback targeted Smith 15 times throughout the afternoon. Iowa’s Coach Kirk Ferentz knew Smith was going to be a handful, and is destined for NFL stardom, so none of his success surprised him.

“All you can do is do your best and try to be as smart as you can playing him, but he’s a great player,” Ferentz said. “With a little bit of luck, we won’t see him again during my career, so that’d be okay.”

The All-American made the best highlight of the game to start the second quarter. The former five-star prospect snagged the ball in mid air between three Hawkeye defenders, and turned it into an explosive play.

The Miami native finished the game with his second-straight 200-yard performance in Big Ten play. Not only did Smith haul in 11 passes, but he also caught two touchdowns, and averaged a jaw-dropping, 18.7 yards per reception. Smith even generated 77 yards after the catch, which NFL scouts love out of big-body receivers. On top of that, Smith struck the Heisman pose after his second score, and thought that put the voters on notice.

“I was surprised I had 200 yards, I didn’t know I had that much,” Smith said. “I just gotta let the Heisman voters, or whatever it is know that I’m the best player in the country, so I gotta be there.”

It’s no mystery that he’s the most dangerous weapon in the sport this season, but remains humble, and even signs autographs for the fans after games, which Coach Ryan Day admires. The kid even turned down a $10 million NIL deal to stay with the Buckeyes, and Day understands Smith’s loyalty to the program.

He’s already building an incredible legacy at Ohio State. So it doesn’t surprise Day that Smith is balling out in his final season of college ball, considering he could potentially be the top pick of the 2027 NFL Draft.

“This is somebody that is not selfish, but he’s very, very competitive,” Day said. “All he cares about is winning, and he’s a man of few words, but I can tell you he feels strongly about this fan base.”

Ohio State (4-1) has had a plethora of elite receivers through the years, and it seems like they grow on trees in Columbus. Every NFL Draft this decade seems to have a Buckeye wide receiver selected in the first round. However, Smith is on another level, and more dominant than legendary Buckeyes like David Boston, and Chris Carter.

It’s mind-boggling that Smith is now the Buckeyes’ career leader with 206 receptions, 36 receiving touchdowns through two and a half years. There’s a lot more tread on the tire too, with the team approaching the midpoint of the season. There are other Heisman candidates like Miami’s quarterback Darian Mensah, wideout Malachi Toney, and teammate Sayin, but Smith for now is the headliner.

The 20-year old is proud of his memorable 200-yard outing, but remains hungry for more production and victories, which is a scary scenario for the opposition.

“I just want more really, I’m never satisfied, but I always worry about the team, and like Coach Day said; the motto today is to go out here and win the game.”