College football spent decades building a pantheon for Randy Moss, Larry Fitzgerald, and Calvin Johnson, only for Jeremiah Smith to make every historical standard look obsolete early in his career. When Ryan Day exploded at quarterback Will Howard in spring practice two years ago, demanding to know if Howard planned to give the best receiver to potentially ever play the game a chance, Howard admitted he thought his head coach had lost his mind over an unproven freshman. Two years later, that practice field outburst looks like a restrained preview.
I understand the instinct to pump the brakes. The obvious objection comes from traditionalists who point to Larry Fitzgerald dragging Pittsburgh to national prominence in 2003, arguing that modern spread spacing and Columbus’s endless supply of five-star talent artificially inflate Smith’s production. But that defense crumbles under scrutiny. Day has seen six of his wide receivers go in the first round over the last five drafts, yet when asked about Smith’s place in that assembly line, Day conceded that “it’s hard to put anybody above him.”
The Blueprint That Broke Defensive Math
Smith breaks defensive math because he eliminates the concept of tight coverage. At 6-foot-4 and 220 pounds, he moves with the fluid burst of a slot receiver while possessing the raw catch radius of an elite tight end. In just over two seasons in Columbus, he has already claimed Ohio State‘s career records for receptions (211), receiving yards (3,474), and touchdown catches (38). Day described the weekly dilemma opposing coordinators face with brutal honesty: “If it’s one-on-one, he’s open. If he’s double-covered, he’s sort of open.”
Larry Fitzgerald provided the ultimate confirmation of that reality when evaluating Smith for ESPN. Fitzgerald noted the familiar way Smith shields defenders, but then volunteered an admission few Hall of Fame legends ever offer: “He’s doing things athletically that I never had the ability to do. The athleticism reminds me a lot of Randy Moss and Calvin Johnson.” When a player of Fitzgerald’s stature openly admits that a college underclassman possesses athletic gifts beyond his own prime, the debate is no longer hyperbole.
When Al Davis Wanted a Freak
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian experienced that terror firsthand across three separate matchups against Smith. In 2004, Sarkisian stood in the Oakland Raiders’ draft room when owner Al Davis asked if their target was Randy Moss. The offensive coordinator answered that Moss was a freak, prompting Davis to reply, “Well, that’s what I want. I want a freak.” Two decades later, Sarkisian hung that exact label on Smith, calling him a player who “can strike the fear of God in you on any snap.”
“If there’s anybody that could probably compare to somebody who could take over a game similar to Randy Moss, I would say it’d be Jeremiah Smith,” Sarkisian said. “I mean, he’s that good. He’s got length, he’s got strength, he’s got speed, he’s got ability to adjust to the ball, he’s got catch-and-run ability, he’s a smart player. He garners your attention on every snap.”
That gravity explains why the Heisman Trophy race has already become a runaway. DraftKings lists Smith as a staggering -220 favorite, dwarfing quarterbacks Darian Mensah (+950) and CJ Carr (+1000). Despite facing shaded safeties and constant brackets every Saturday, Smith has piled up 48 receptions for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns, ranking second nationally in all three categories. Voters traditionally treat the Heisman like a private quarterback fraternity, but Smith’s production is forcing an unprecedented recalibration.
The Inevitable First Pick
The professional ranks recognized this trajectory long before the rest of the country caught up. During the 2025 NFL combine, an NFL general manager told ESPN that Smith would have been the No. 1 overall pick after playing just one college season. With recent buzz confirming that Smith has passed Arch Manning as the favorite to go No. 1 in the NFL draft, the college football world is witnessing a pro superstar dominating Saturdays on borrowed time.
When Ohio State lines up against Indiana this Saturday with questions along the offensive line, the strategic solution will remain remarkably simple. The ball will climb into double coverage, Smith will high-point it over two helpless defensive backs, and college football will have to reckon with the fact that its greatest wide receiver of all time is currently playing in Columbus.
