Jeremiah Smith didn’t need a monster volume day to widen the gap in the Heisman race. Ohio State’s star receiver had just four catches against Maryland, but he turned those touches into 94 yards and two touchdowns, and that was enough to push him even further out front six weeks into the regular season.
The box score may have read like a quiet afternoon by his standards. The tape told a different story.
Smith kept flashing the kind of burst and body control that have become routine for him, ripping off a 33-yard touchdown, a 40-yard score and an unbelievable one-handed grab. Even with only four opportunities as a playmaker, he made every one look dangerous.
That’s reflected in the numbers, too. Smith was listed at -105 to win the Heisman last week; now he sits at -215, according to consensus odds from DraftKings and FanDuel.
Through six games, he has piled up 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns. Those 916 receiving yards are more than 14 FBS teams, and his 11 touchdowns are more than 87 teams.
There is still a quarterback crowd chasing him, and Julian Sayin moved himself back into the conversation after his own big showing against Maryland. Sayin threw for 242 yards and four touchdowns against the Terrapins, and his Heisman odds improved to +3800, which is seventh-best in the country.
That sets up the bigger question around Smith’s candidacy: just how rare is it for a wide receiver to actually win this award? Since Michigan’s Desmond Howard won it in 1991, only one full-time receiver has taken home the Heisman in the last 35 years - Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020. Travis Hunter was a two-way player during his Heisman-winning season in 2024.
So the comparison is natural, and the season-long tracker puts Jeremiah Smith’s first six games next to DeVonta Smith’s 2020 pace.
Through six games in 2020, DeVonta Smith had 56 receptions for 759 yards and eight touchdown catches, plus a rushing touchdown. In 2026, Jeremiah Smith has already gone past him in yardage and touchdowns through the same point: 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 scores. His 19.1 yards per catch and 152.7 yards per game both top DeVonta’s six-game marks of 13.6 and 126.5.
Among the quarterbacks still hanging around the top tier, Darian Mensah remains in the mix despite a quieter game before Miami’s bye. The Duke transfer had opened his season by completing at least 85% of his passes and throwing three or more touchdowns in each of the Hurricanes’ first four games against Stanford, Florida A&M, Wake Forest and Central Michigan. Against Clemson on Oct. 3, he went 18-of-27 for 227 yards and one touchdown in a win, and he added 27 rushing yards and a score on three carries, his second straight game with a rushing touchdown.
Mensah’s season line is still impressive: 112 completions on 133 attempts, an 84.2% completion rate, 1,438 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, plus 12 carries for 79 yards and two scores.
CJ Carr is also keeping his name in the discussion after another efficient outing for Notre Dame. In the win over Stanford, he completed 14-of-20 passes for 181 yards and three touchdowns.
It was the first time this season he didn’t top 200 passing yards, but he has been steady all year. Through six games, Carr has completed 102-of-144 passes for 1,379 yards, 16 touchdowns and one interception, and he has added 69 rushing yards and three scores on 17 carries.
Troy Smith was the last Buckeye to win the Heisman in 2006. DeVonta Smith was the last full-time wide receiver to win it in 2020. Right now, Jeremiah Smith is the heavy favorite to challenge both droughts in 2026.
In Other News...
Ohio State Gets Pulled Into A High-Stakes Fight Over Eligibility
The eligibility fight surrounding fifth-year athletes in Ohio has now spilled into federal court, with the NCAA suing Gov. Mike DeWine over the executive order that lets state universities challenge the associations ruling. For Ohio State and the rest of the states Division I programs, the issue is more than paperwork. It goes straight to how coaches build rosters, manage scholarship spots and weigh whether a veteran player can give them one more season.
The NCAA argues the order violates the Commerce Clause and the First Amendment by giving Ohio schools an unfair edge and allowing them to sidestep NCAA rules. Ohios Division I programs reportedly support the directive, and coaches have said they will make decisions based on what helps the team most. For a Buckeyes program always balancing immediate ambitions against long-term roster planning, the legal standoff adds another layer of uncertainty to an already delicate eligibility question. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Faces Two Pressing Questions In Huge Indiana Test
Jeremiah Smith has become one of the most important pieces in Ohio States offense, and his involvement figures to be a major storyline in Bloomington. The Buckeyes have been looking for ways to keep their passing game balanced and dangerous, and getting Smith the ball is part of that equation as they head into a matchup that carries real weight after last seasons Big Ten title game loss to Indiana.
Julian Sayins protection will matter just as much, because Indiana can make life uncomfortable if Ohio State lets pressure reach the quarterback too often. On the other side of the ball, the Buckeyes also need to close quickly on Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover and create enough disruption to tilt the game their way, with this trip offering both a chance at revenge and a test of whether Ohio State can handle the kind of pressure that usually decides big conference games. [Read more 🡒]
Indiana Has A Chance To Shake Up The Big Ten Race
The Big Ten race is tightening at exactly the moment Ohio State would prefer some breathing room, and Indiana suddenly has a chance to make the leagues path a lot more complicated. The weekend slate comes with plenty of moving parts, from quarterback uncertainty elsewhere in the national picture to Ohio States own offensive line questions, but the Hoosiers are now positioned as one of the teams that could force the conversation to shift in a hurry.
For Buckeyes fans, that makes this a scoreboard-watching weekend as much as anything else. Alongside the predictions for the games themselves, the broadcasts are also expected to stir up talk about a possible 24-team College Football Playoff expansion, adding another layer to a week already loaded with speculation. If Indiana does its part, Ohio State may find the margin for error in the conference race getting thinner than it already is. [Read more 🡒]