Jeremiah Smith Sets Ohio State Records, Leads Heisman Race — SkimNews
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- Jeremiah Smith has broken Ohio State career records with 211 receptions, 3,474 receiving yards and 38 touchdown catches, and ranks second nationally this season with 48 catches, 916 yards and 11 touchdowns.
- DraftKings lists Smith as the Heisman Trophy favorite at -220 odds, ahead of Miami's Darian Mensah (+950) and Notre Dame's CJ Carr (+1000).
- Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said Smith 'could probably compare to' Randy Moss in game-changing ability, while Hall of Famer Larry Fitzgerald told ESPN Smith's athleticism 'reminds me a lot of Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson.'
- Smith leads the nation with 6.03 yards per route run and draws 38% of Ohio State's targets (second-highest share nationally), while still generating 48 targets with no defender within an arm's length.
- An unnamed NFL general manager told ESPN at the 2025 combine that Smith would have been the No. 1 overall pick after only one college season.
- Ohio State coach Ryan Day recalled telling quarterback Will Howard two years ago to give 'the best receiver to potentially ever play the game' a chance—back when Smith was a freshman yet to play a snap.
- Smith has yet to win the Biletnikoff Award or earn a Heisman finalist spot, unlike predecessors such as Fitzgerald, Moss, Calvin Johnson, Michael Crabtree and DeVonta Smith who built all-time cases through individual hardware.
Why it matters: Smith's case for the greatest-college-receiver-ever label hinges on whether individual awards catch up to his statistical dominance—Fitzgerald, Moss and Johnson all won Biletnikoffs and/or Heisman hardware, while Smith has claimed neither. With DraftKings pricing him at -220 to win the Heisman, that gap could close this season before he declares for the NFL, where a GM has already said he would have been the No. 1 pick a year ago.
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