The Ohio State football program has had a front-row seat to the Jeremiah Smith show for the last two seasons. Even as a freshman, Smith was a total phenom. By the time the Buckeyes were through winning the national championship in 2024, Smith was the best player on the team as a freshman.
Last season, a late-season injury slowed Smith down a bit. He didn't play in every game and was not 100 percent heading into the College Football Playoff. Still, he had a fantastic season. Heading into the 2026 season, he is widely considered to be the best player in the country.
Smith will only be playing one more year with the Ohio State Buckeyes. Once the 2027 NFL Draft rolls around, he will become the sixth-straight first-round pick for Ohio State at the receiver position. His latest ranking among receivers should have the rest of the nation scared.
Jeremiah Smith named top receiver prospect in the 2027 Draft
According to Dane Brugler of The Athletic, Smith is by far the top receiver prospect in the 2027 Draft. In the section where he labels each player's best traits, Brugler simply put 'almost everything'. He also claims that Smith is one of the best prospects that he has ever evaluated.
For Brugler to say that about Smith is an impressive feat. He evaluates every single draft prospect every year, and he thinks Smith is one of the best he's ever seen. That should scare teams who have to play the Buckeyes this season. He is an absolute monster.
Of course, the Buckeyes have one of the toughest schedules in the country. They will need Smith to be one of the best players on the field in every game that they play, since their road to the College Football Playoff will not be easy. In fact, it might be the hardest in the Ryan Day era.
Jeremiah Smith could be the first overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft
If Smith plays up to his full potential, there is a chance that Smith is the top overall pick in next year's draft. That's how good he is as a receiver prospect. Of course, it will depend on which team gets the top pick. If it's a team that needs a quarterback, it's unlikely Smith will have a shot at that honor.
A receiver hasn't been the number-one overall pick in the draft since 1996, when Keyshawn Johnson was taken at the top of the draft. Smith is the first receiver to realistically have a chance to break that streak since that happened. He is good enough to change the fortunes of a franchise right away.
Smith enters the season as one of the favorites to win the Heisman Trophy. Devonta Smith was the last receiver to win the Heisman, and Smith is certainly entering this season with more hype than Devonta Smith had leading into that year.
Smith is more concerned about winning a national championship in his final year than he is about winning the Heisman, though.
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