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Ohio State Star Jeremiah Smith Named College Football's 'Biggest Freak'

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | Last updated Aug 4, 2025 12:55 PM ET

A season ago, there was arguably no player more dominant or captivating than Ohio State Buckeyes' true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. He came into the season as the No. 1 ranked prospect in the 2025 class, and left his freshman year with a handful of records and accolades after hauling in 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Now, he enters his sophomore campaign atop many awards lists, and on Monday, he picked up one of the most notable of all — the No. 1 spot on Bruce Feldman's "Freaks List."

What is The Athletic's Freaks List?

While it may not rival the Heisman Trophy, the Doak Walker Award, or the Maxwell Trophy, being named to The Athletic's Freaks List, written by Bruce Feldman, is an honor that many college football fans hold in high regard.

Simply put, the Freaks List is a ranking of the 101 college football players who are the most physically outlandish “freaks” in college football. In his words, the list aims to “spotlight the players whose athleticism blew the minds of folks inside their own college football programs.”

Whether it's a 330-pound defensive lineman running 21 MPH, or a 255-pound tight end jumping 41.5 inches and benching 435 pounds, the Freaks List is designed to single out the most gifted athletes in the sport, if not the "best."

Why is Jeremiah Smith Ranked No. 1 on the Freaks List?

If you have to ask that question, then you must not have watched Smith much during his freshman season.

Standing at 6-foot-3, 223 pounds, Smith staked his claim as the most dominant receiver in the sport, which is impressive considering he was all of 18 years old for much of the season. More than Smith's play on the field, though, what makes him the biggest "freak" on the list is his measurables and testing numbers. According to Feldman, Smith has done 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press, to go along with a 550-pound squat, an 11-foot broad jump, 38-inch vertical jump and 23.5 mph on the GPS.

What's Next for Jeremiah Smith in 2025?

After a historic freshman season where he broke multiple records at both Ohio State and in the Big Ten Conference, it will be a lot to ask for Smith to continue to raise the bar as a sophomore. However, he is the clear-cut WR1 in Columbus this year, no longer contending with Emeka Egbuka for targets.

The biggest question, though, has to do with Ohio State's quarterback position, where the expectation is that former 5-star Julian Sayin takes over for Will Howard after the championship season. Sayin has a high upside, but limited reps so far in live action. There aren't many doubts that he will be able to maintain, if not elevate Ohio State's offensive success, but Sayin still has to prove himself on the field.

At this point, there is no reason to believe that Smith will not, once again, be among the most dominant players in the nation this year. As just a sophomore, he has at least two more years in college before becoming eligible for the NFL Draft, so it's also fair to assume he will hold this place at No. 1 on the Freaks List again in 2026, as well.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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