ESPN ranks the No. 1 college football player for the 2025 season

With the 2025 college football season kicking off this week, ESPN attempted to rank the top-100 players in the country.

Upperclassmen stars make up the bulk of the top 10, like Texas linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. (No. 2), Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (No. 3), Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik (No. 4) and Notre Dame tailback Jeremiyah Love (No. 5), among others.

The No. 1 selec tion, though, also happens to be the only second-year player in the top nine.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith earned the nod from ESPN ahead of his sophomore season after the former five-star put together a Freshman All-American campaign on the way to a national championship.

Smith (6-foot-3, 223 pounds) broke Ohio State's freshman receiving records, broke the Big Ten's receiving yards record by a freshman and caught five touchdowns during the Buckeyes' four-game College Football Playoff run.

The Miami Gardens, Florida, native totaled 76 receptions for 1,315 yards with 15 touchdowns in Year 1, making him one of, if not the top, returning receivers in college football.

In ESPN's opinion, Smith is the best player in the country.

"With a season of experience behind him, Smith said he expects to play even faster this year," ESPN's Jak e Trotter wrote. "That's a scary proposition for the rest of the Big Ten."

Off the field, Smith already sits third in college sports with a $4.2 On3 NIL valuation.

Smith will certainly be relied upon this season as Ohio State adjusts offensively to new starting quarterback Julian Sayin. An accomplished security blanket like No. 4 should help ease the transition.

Ohio State will open the season by hosting No. 1 Texas, a rematch of the playoff semifinal. Kickoff is slated for Aug. 30 at noon ET (Fox).