Ever since he committed to the Ohio State football program, Jeremiah Smith has been the best weapon on the roster. Smith was the best player on the 2024 national championship team. In each of the last two years, he's been the best overall player in the country.
This year, he might actually get the accolades to show that. He is still the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy despite his starting quarterback going down. He'll be a first-round draft pick in April. ESPN thinks that he could be a truly generational prospect for whichever team takes him.
Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith is seen as a once-in-a-lifetime prospect by ESPN
ESPN did a full breakdown of Smith's skills. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid believes that he could be the first receiver since Keyshawn Johnson to be taken number-one overall.
"Due to Smith's talent and the current lack of a consensus QB1 in this draft, he has a strong argument to top all of them and be the first receiver selected with the No. 1 pick since the New York Jets took Keyshawn Johnson to begin the draft in 1996," Reid writes.
Smith has just six drops in three years and is so far and away the best player that teams might trade up to take him. The Chargers would have the number-one pick if the season ended today. They would definitely take Smith since they have Justin Herbert established as their quarterback.
The Buckeyes have made sure that Smith gets his numbers this year. He has 52 catches for 984 yards and 12 touchdowns already this year. It's not unrealistic for him to get 20 touchdowns, although that would require the backup quarterback to play extremely well with Sayin on the bench.
Ohio State needs to force-feed Jeremiah Smith more than usual
Most of Ohio State's offense has been Smith to this point in the season, anyway. The next closest touchdown total from a skill player is six, and that's from Ja'Kobi Jackson. Jackson is pretty much done for the rest of the regular season, too. That means it's all up to Smith.
We have been waiting for a second receiver to step up and help Smith at some point this season. That has yet to happen. This is why Arthur Smith needs to scheme up plays that allow Smith to get open so that Luke Fahey can find him. Fahey will likely be the starter on Saturday night.
Of course, a good running game would be nice. However, Ohio State can't rely on that. The Buckeyes have just the 75th-ranked rushing offense in the country. If the backs are going to continue to play that poorly, Smith needs to get the ball as much as possible for the rest of the season.
Smith has been a fantastic Buckeye in his three seasons with the program. He is the greatest receiver in the history of the program, and he might be the best Ohio State football player ever. If he somehow wins the Heisman and wins another national title, he'll have his number retired.
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