The Jeremiah Smith hype has reached an all-time high. FOX Sports' Joel Klatt just claimed the Ohio State Buckeyes receiver could only be covered by one man across the entire sport: Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Leonard Moore.
Klatt listed Smith as the top player in college football. He listed Moore at the No. 2 spot and acknowledged that in his explanation for why Smith is unmatched by anyone else talent-wise and could only be slowed down, not even locked down, by Moore.
Klatt specifically said that Moore would be "the only guy I think who can have a chance" against Smith in coverage.
"There's no other No. 1 when he's playing in college football. He's physical, he's fast, he's great catching the football. He's got great hands. He's a technician. If [Julian] Sayin lets it loose and throws the ball down the field, Jeremiah Smith might have 15, 18 touchdowns this year. He's a regardless receiver, which means regardless of what coverage you're in, they're throwing him the football," Klatt said.
"Nobody can cover him. The only guy I think who can have a chance is Leonard Moore, my No. 2 player. He's that elite. It's, candidly, not even close."
When their two teams squared off in the Buckeyes' 2025 CFP title game victory, Moore covered Smith on a few possessions. Moore only allowed a single catch for seven yards and had a pass breakup, but Smith decimated Notre Dame's other CBs, mainly Christian Gray.
The two aren't slated to have another showdown in college unless their teams meet in the playoff again. The Fighting Irish have championship ambitions just as OSU does. Perhaps that'll culminate in an anticipated rematch in January.
If Moore doesn't stick Smith in a hypothetical postseason rematch, we'll almost certainly see the two cross paths in some form during their NFL careers.
Joel Klatt predicts Jeremiah Smith to win the Heisman
Klatt backed his No. 1 ranking with a prediction for Smith to win the Heisman Trophy in 2026 a few days ago.
"If I have to be right, I'm taking Jeremiah Smith. This could be a year where a player's body of work gets respected, and he should be up there...if you said, 'You have to be right, you have to bet your own money,' I would pick Jeremiah Smith because he is the best player in the sport," Klatt said.
The toughest thing about being a receiver in the Heisman race is being at the mercy of your quarterback. Julian Sayin aired it out plenty next year, but Klatt believes there's room to grow in that department.
After all, Smith was "only" ranked No. 4 in receiving yards (1,243), No. 6 in receiving touchdowns (12), and No. 7 in receptions (87). It's not crazy to think that Smith could be No. 1 in every category with an offensive system built around him.
He'll have that with Arthur Smith's play-calling this fall, so watch out. Klatt's takes on Smith may age like fine wine by the time we reach December.
Add us as a preferred source on Google