Jeremiah Smith is heading into the 2026 season with the kind of preseason spotlight that usually gets reserved for legends, not just stars on the rise. Ohio State already knows what it has in him: a receiver who has been the Buckeyes’ best player, one of the best in college football, and now, according to PFF, the top player in the country again.
That recognition puts Smith in rare company. PFF’s Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick pointed to a two-year run that has separated him from everyone else at the position: "Over his first two college seasons, Smith leads all wide receivers in PFF receiving grade (92.9), receiving yards (2,554), and receiving touchdowns (27).
He also leads all wide receivers in PFF Wins Above Average (PFF WAA) over that span. Smith is a generational talent at the position who will have NFL teams tripping over themselves to draft him in 2027," wrote Dalton Wasserman and Max Chadwick.
Smith is now only the second player ever to be named the nation’s top player by PFF in back-to-back seasons, joining Trevor Lawrence. That’s the kind of company that tells you exactly how high his ceiling has climbed. He was the best player on Ohio State’s national championship team in 2024 and followed that by becoming the offense’s ultimate weapon last season.
The Buckeyes won’t be leaning on Smith alone, though he and Julian Sayin are clearly the two faces of the team entering the year. Sayin also landed in PFF’s top five, and he’ll be the one tasked with getting the ball to Smith all season long. With that duo front and center, the pressure on Ohio State is obvious: anything short of the highest level will feel like a missed opportunity.
Smith’s individual chase is just as compelling. He is 42 catches behind former teammate Emeka Egbuka for the all-time receptions lead, 340 yards shy of Michael Jenkins for the all-time receiving yards mark, and seven touchdowns behind Chris Olave for the Buckeyes’ career receiving touchdown record. He also already owns the Ohio State record for receptions per game, averaging 5.6.
At this point, it would be a surprise if Smith doesn’t spend this season rewriting the record book. And if he does, Ohio State’s chances of making this a special year only get stronger.
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