Ohio State’s preseason Buckeye 20 ends exactly where it always felt like it would: with Jeremiah Smith sitting alone at No. 1.
On the eve of the Buckeyes’ first game against Ball State, the countdown wrapped with the wide receiver who was the unanimous pick as Ohio State’s best player and, in this ranking, the best player in college football. The Buckeye 20 - Eleven Warriors’ season-long list of Ohio State’s top 20 players, chosen by a panel of 11W staffers - had spent the days leading into the 2026 opener revealing the roster from No. 20 all the way to the top.
Smith’s spot at the top comes with the kind of profile that makes the ranking feel almost inevitable. At 6-foot-4 and 222 pounds, he has the size, athleticism and catch radius to make life miserable for any defense. He’s the kind of receiver who can erase the need for the “perfect” video game build, because Ohio State can just throw it to him and let him sort it out.
The hype is real, but the case for Smith goes beyond buzz. He’s built on more than rare physical tools, pairing them with an elite work ethic and a commitment to sharpening his craft. That combination has earned him admiration inside Ohio State for reasons that go well past what he does on Saturdays.
After only two seasons in Columbus, Smith is already making a run at the title of Ohio State’s greatest wide receiver ever. He can lock that up with a big 2026 season, needing just 43 catches, 341 receiving yards and nine touchdown receptions to break the program’s career records in all three categories.
The broader college football conversation has mostly caught up too. Outside of the anonymous “Big Ten running backs coach” who talked to Bruce Feldman, the consensus points in the same direction: Smith is the best player in the sport. He’s been the top wide receiver in college football since helping Ohio State win a national championship as a freshman, even without a Biletnikoff Award to his name.
And on the Buckeye 20, there was never much suspense about where he would land. Smith has held the No. 1 spot since midway through his freshman season, and nothing about the way Ohio State enters 2026 has changed that. Even with a Heisman Trophy finalist at quarterback and plenty of other talent around him, Smith remains the Buckeyes’ defining star - the player every opponent has to find a way to deal with if it wants any shot at slowing Ohio State down.
In Other News...
Ohio States Receiver Rotation Just Got More Complicated Before Week 1
Ohio States receiver picture got a little murkier heading into Week 1 after Kyle Parker was ruled out for the opener against Ball State because of an injury. Ryan Day had already flagged Parker as dealing with a minor issue, and now the Buckeyes will have to open the season without one of the players in their wideout mix.
Chris Henry Jr. and Brock Boyd are among the receivers expected to get more snaps with Parker unavailable, which only adds another layer to a position group already under the microscope in camp. For a team trying to sort out roles early, even a short-term absence can matter, and this one gives Ohio State an early look at its depth before the real tests arrive. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State's Week 1 Start Just Added Fuel To A Huge Debate
Ohio States season opener did plenty to reinforce why the Big Ten already feels like the league to beat, with Julian Sayin looking sharp in his first extended action and the Buckeyes setting the tone early against Ball State. Across the conference, Indiana also came out strong behind new quarterback Josh Hoover, while Rutgers, Michigan State and Nebraska each left a little more uncertainty on the board after mixed openings.
Curt Cignettis postgame comments about the Big Ten being superior to the SEC only added to a debate that has been simmering for months, and former Ohio State coach Urban Meyers praise for the leagues strength gave it even more oxygen. For Buckeyes fans, the opening weekend was less about settling anything outright than about reminding everyone that Ohio State is already in the middle of a bigger argument about where the sports best football is being played. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Opener Made One Position Battle A Lot More Interesting
Ohio States season opener looked comfortable on the scoreboard, a 56-3 win that still left enough rough edges to keep the coaching staff busy. Jeremiah Smith delivered the kind of opening performance that reminds everyone why he is already such a focal point of the offense, piling up 151 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches, and Devin McCuin also made his mark as the Buckeyes worked through stretches of inconsistency on both sides of the ball.
One of the more intriguing takeaways came away from the spotlight plays, where freshman Legend Bey flashed enough on offense to suggest there is something to build on. His night also came with some costly special teams errors, though, and that is the kind of detail that can reshape how quickly a young player gets trusted in bigger moments. At quarterback, the depth chart also appeared to settle a little further, with Tavien St. Clair looking more like he is chasing the No. 3 job than threatening the top of the line behind Julian Sayin. [Read more 🡒]