Ohio State might have more than one name in the Heisman conversation this offseason, but Jeremiah Smith sits near the front of that line.
The challenge is obvious: wide receivers rarely win the Heisman Memorial Trophy. That means Smith will need a monster season, and the path is pretty clear. He has to pile up production, stay in the spotlight, and do it in a way that forces voters to notice him.
This will be Smith’s third season of college football, and for the first time, he doesn’t appear to be working next to another first-round receiver. In 2024, he lined up with Emeka Egbuka.
Last season, it was Carnell Tate. Both were first-round picks in the last two NFL drafts.
Brandon Inniss could break through this year, and true freshman Chris Henry Jr. is also in the mix, but right now Smith looks like the lone first-round talent in the Buckeyes’ receiver room.
That setup could work in his favor. If Smith is clearly the top target on the roster, he should have a real chance to see even more passes than he did a year ago.
The last wide receiver to actually win the Heisman was Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020, and that season came with some unusual circumstances. COVID-19 changed schedules across the country, with many conferences cutting games or canceling them entirely, while the SEC and Alabama played a full double-digit slate. That gave Smith a bigger stage and more chances to build his case.
He also benefited from the injury to his receiver teammate Jaylen Waddle early in the year. Once Waddle was sidelined, Smith’s role expanded, and he closed the season with 117 catches, 1,856 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns in 13 games. Jeremiah Smith would likely need numbers in that neighborhood to have a real shot this season.
Of course, the Heisman usually belongs to quarterbacks, and Smith is sharing an offense with one of them. Julian Sayin is coming off a season in which he finished as a Heisman finalist, so there’s a built-in possibility that another big year from the quarterback could pull attention away from Smith.
Still, even with that obstacle, Smith is the kind of player who makes you think twice before ruling anything out. Winning the Heisman as a receiver is a tough climb.
Doing something remarkable? That’s never been out of reach for Jeremiah Smith.
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Paul Finebaum Just Put Ohio State Above The SEC Again
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Finebaum pointed to a changing national picture, and Ohio State was part of the reason. Along with Oregon and Notre Dame, the Buckeyes were among the teams he viewed as better positioned than the SECs current contenders, a notable shift for a league that has long set the standard. For Ohio State, it is another sign that the path to the playoff and the championship conversation may be opening wider than it has in years. [Read more 🡒]