The Ohio State football team is the defending national champions because of how explosive their offense was. They were able to score from anywhere on the field because they had playmakers who could score once they had the ball in their hands.
By far the best example of that is wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. By the time the College Football Playoff ended, he had established himself as the best player in college football. He is the best player this season as a sophomore and should be recognized as such.
That's exactly what EA Sports has done. With the new college football video game coming out in July, Smith was prominently placed on the cover of College Football 26. He shares the cover of the game with Ryan Williams of Alabama, who is also good, but not as good as Smith.
Ohio State football player Jeremiah Smith is on the cover of College Football 26
Smith is on the front cover of both the normal version and the deluxe version of the games. Ryan Day is on the cover of the deluxe version, as well.
With Smith being the best player in college football, it makes sense that he would be prominently featured on the cover of the game. His rating is likely going to be extremely high in the game, as well. He has a chance to be a 99 overall because of just how good he is.
The scary thing for the rest of college football is that he is just a sophomore. He still has plenty of room to grow and be better, which means he could become one of the best Ohio State receivers of all time by the time it's all said and done.
Smith is going to be a key guy who can help the Ohio State Buckeyes defend their national championship.