Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a team in a bad stretch is that it forces the front office to dream bigger.
For the Texans, that dream would be Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He’s being talked about as the premier player in the 2027 NFL Draft, and on pure talent, he looks like exactly the kind of difference-maker Houston could use if this season keeps slipping away.
Smith is already a star at Ohio State. The six-foot-four, 222-pound junior has become the school’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Through five games, he’s also tracking toward the 2026 triple crown with 44 catches, 823 yards and nine touchdowns. That’s the kind of production that stops you in your tracks, even before you get to the tape.
And the tape is loaded. Smith gives cornerbacks a problem every which way.
He can muscle through contested catches with his frame, then turn around and blow by defenders with the kind of athleticism that landed him at No. 1 on Feldman’s 2025 Freaks List. In one-on-one situations, he’s almost impossible to win against.
He boxes out defenders, rises to the football and plucks it with reliable hands.
What makes him even scarier is that he’s not just a big-bodied target. Smith is also a polished route runner, which is not what you usually expect from a receiver with his size.
He works defenders over with his releases, uses their leverage against them and creates space with precision. He’s sharp through his routes, sinks his hips well and can stop on a dime.
Against zone coverage, he finds holes, throttles down and gives the quarterback an easy answer.
There are very few holes in his game. If you wanted to nitpick, his run-blocking consistency still has room to grow.
He has the strength and the willingness, but the technique isn’t fully there yet. At times, that lets a defender get to the ball carrier on outside runs or screen plays.
For Houston, the fit is obvious. The Texans have talent at receiver, but availability has been the real issue.
Nico Collins has dealt with injuries throughout his career, Tank Dell hasn’t played in nearly two years, and Jayden Higgins went down with a season-ending torn ACL before the season. That puts even more pressure on the front office to find CJ Stroud a dependable, explosive weapon.
That remains true even if Marvin Harrison Jr. ends up having a resurgence in Houston.
Smith is still early in his college career, but the case for him is already loud and clear. If the Texans don’t turn things around, he looks like the kind of consolation prize that would change the mood in a hurry.
In Other News...
Texans Pass Rush Just Got A Huge Opening Vs Jaguars
A major question mark just opened up for Jacksonville heading into its Week 6 meeting with the Texans in London. Jaguars left tackle Anton Harrison is expected to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery, and the timeline could keep him out for 3-5 weeks, with the possibility of a season-ending outcome still on the table.
For Houston, the timing matters. The Texans already have a strong defensive line, and now they may face a Jaguars front that has to adjust without one of its key edge protectors. However the Jaguars sort out the spot, the left side of their line will be under immediate scrutiny against a Texans pass rush that should see this as a chance to tilt the matchup. [Read more 🡒]
Texans Landed Marvin Harrison Jr As Strange Cardinals Rift Emerges
Houston spent part of the offseason looking to add more punch to its passing game, and now it has a major name to build around. Marvin Harrison Jr. is officially headed to the Texans from Arizona in a deal that sends a second-round pick and additional Day 3 selections to the Cardinals, a move that gives Houston a high-profile target with plenty still left to prove after a quieter second season in the desert.
For Arizona, the trade closes a tense chapter that never seemed to settle into the expected rhythm. Harrisons production dipped in year two, and the backdrop around his time with the Cardinals included a reported disagreement over a workout machine purchase, one of those odd little details that can take on outsized meaning when a relationship starts to fray. Cardinals general manager Monti Ossenfort thanked Harrison in a statement and wished him well, while Houston now gets to see whether a fresh start can unlock the player both sides envisioned. [Read more 🡒]
C.J. Stroud Sees One Big Challenge For Texans New Weapon
C.J. Stroud did not hide his excitement about Houston adding Marvin Harrison Jr., a move that instantly changes the look of the Texans passing game. The quarterback spoke highly of Harrisons route-running, work ethic and character, and he sees the receiver as someone who can grow into one of the NFLs best if everything clicks around him.
For Stroud, though, the biggest hurdle is not talent. It is the adjustment that comes with a new locker room and a new offense, the kind of transition every receiver has to absorb before the production follows. For Houston, that means the early focus will be on getting Harrison comfortable and up to speed, because the upside is obvious once he settles in. [Read more 🡒]