Jeremiah Smithwasted no time throwing his hat in the ring for the Heisman Trophy and the Biletnikoff Award.
In Ohio State's season-opening win over Ball State, the Buckeyes' star receiver totaled 151 yards and two touchdowns on eight catches, turning in a performance that put him alongside Miami's Malachi Toney among the nation's top wide receiver standouts in Week 1.
It marked the 12th time in his career that Smith recorded at least 100 receiving yards, which is the third-most all-time by an Ohio State wide receiver.
The 6-foot-4 receiver is now just seven touchdown catches shy of breaking Chris Olave's program record and 189 receiving yards away from surpassing
Michael Jenkins as Ohio State's all-time career receiving yards leader.
Smith will have his hands full against one of the nation's top defenses in Week 2 when the Buckeyes travel down to DKR Texas Memorial Stadium to take on No. 3 Texas — a team that has historically caused Smith some trouble. In two career games against the Longhorns, Smith has seven receptions for 46 receiving yards.
Despite that, Smith will still be one of the top wide receivers — and overall talents — on the field that NFL scouts will be traveling to Austin to watch play in person in Week 2.
Here's what to know on Smith's NFL draft projections:
Jeremiah Smith NFL mock draft projections
Here's where NFL draft analysts have Smith currently going in recent mock drafts:
- USA TODAY Sports (Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz, as of Aug. 31): No. 2 overall to the Miami Dolphins Cardinals
- ESPN (Jordan Reid, as of Aug. 26): No. 4 overall to the Dolphins
- CBS Sports (Ryan Wilson, as of Sept. 7): No. 2 overall to the Arizona Cardinals
Below is the analysis from Middlehurst-Schwartz on Smith going to the Dolphins:
"Might Miami be among the teams clawing to the front of the pack for a quarterback early in the draft? With the team's teardown leaving several serious deficiencies, the Dolphins shouldn't have much trouble getting into striking distance of a top signal-caller. Yet the team's current setup might not be conducive to plucking a prized passer and dropping him into a rather barren talent landscape. Nabbing hometown hero Smith, who has a strong case to be considered the best player in the class, would supercharge what's arguably the league's worst receiving corps and give dynamic dual-threat Malik Willis - or any potential replacement - a bona fide No. 1 target for years to come."
Jeremiah Smith stats
Here's a look at Smith's stats at Ohio State:
- 2024: 76 receptions for 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns; six carries for 47 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
- 2025: 87 receptions for 1,243 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns; three carries for 21 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown
- 2026: Eight receptions for 151 receiving yards and two touchdowns
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Will Jeremiah Smith go No. 1 in NFL draft? Ohio State receiver
