Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is a true freshman and just turned 19 years old in November. Nevertheless, he should be seen as the odds-on favorite to hoist the Heisman Trophy in 2025 following his torching of the Oregon Ducks in the Rose Bowl.
Is Jeremiah Smith the 2025 Heisman Favorite?
Entering the College Football Playoff, Smith had already set Ohio State’s freshman receiving triple crown records: 57 receptions, 934 yards, and 10 touchdowns. Yet, he’s somehow only grown stronger in the postseason.
Against the Tennessee Volunteers in the opening round, Smith hauled in six catches for 103 yards and two scores. And after just one quarter and a few minutes of game time against the No. 1-seeded Ducks, he has a 5-161-2 receiving line.
That’s a 32.2 yards-per-catch average — it’s not like one long bomb is skewing the numbers, either, as his longest reception was 45 yards.
Yeah, Smith isn’t just the No. 1 receiver at WRU — he isn’t even just the No. 1 receiver in the country. He may be the No. 1 receiver in college football history.
It’s not as if he’s the WR1 being force-fed the ball at a Group of Five school. We are talking about Ohio State, which already has a veteran WR with a Round 1 skill set in Emeka Egbuka. Oh, and it’s not as if QB Will Howard is being discussed as a future first-rounder, either.
Smith quite literally has all the tools of a create-a-WR in practically every mold a coach could dream. Need a short-aDOT YAC threat, an intermediate separator to pick up money downs, or a downfield weapon to take the top off defenses? Just have Smith on your team.
MORE: Simulate the College Football Season with CFN’s College Football Playoff Predictor
On Dec. 14, we looked at 10 potential Heisman candidates. It’s safe to say that as long as Smith has a QB who can get him the ball, he’ll be the favorite early on. Signal-callers make up the majority of the list, but Arch Manning is still mostly potential, LaNorris Sellers has the tools but not the consistency, and Garrett Nussmeier has an all-new pass-catching corps to gel with.
With another full offseason to hone his craft, the ceiling is the roof for Smith, to quote another GOAT (Michael Jordan). And it’s a ceiling deserving of the Heisman Trophy and, eventually, the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft.
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