Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) makes a catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish cornerback Christian Gray (29) in the fourth quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

SEC Expert Offers Massive Take On Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Jul 23, 2025 10:20 AM ET

Paul Finebaum is known as one of the main "talking heads" and analysts when it comes to SEC football, but Ohio State Jeremiah Smith transcends conferences.

Heading into his sophomore season for the Buckeyes, Smith is coming off a freshman campaign that saw him catch 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. The former 5-star recruit was a superstar for the Buckeyes, but there's a chance he'll be even better in 2025.

In fact, there's a chance he'll be the best player in college football regardless of position. Finebaum seems to think so, at least, and it's because he believes new offensive coordinator Brian Hartline is going to make it a point to get the 6-foot-3, 215-pound wideout the ball as much as possible.

Finebaum was asked by ESPN's Mike Greenberg on "Get Up" if Smith is the best player in college football.

“That he is. He’s so good Greeny and, you know, (looking at) the draft where he would have gone last year, it’s incredible that he has to stay in college with all the convoluted rules,” Finebaum said (h/t On3) . “But the biggest issue they had last year with Chip Kelly calling the plays was getting him the ball enough. Remember in the Michigan game he didn’t get the ball enough? That Texas game? I think that will change this year but he is without a doubt the best player in the game.”

.@finebaum believes "without a doubt" that OSU's Jeremiah Smith is the best CFB player in the country pic.twitter.com/YZwv8fQpAZ
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) July 23, 2025

Including the College Football Playoff, Smith averaged 4.8 receptions per game and a whopping 17.30 yards per catch. He put up star numbers as a freshman, but imagine what he can do with another year of seasoning in 2025 if Ohio State focuses on getting him from 4.8 receptions per game to six or even seven catches a contest.

Smith could legitimately win the Heisman Trophy if he gets just a few more targets per game. As such, he'd legitimately be the best player in the sport, and he'd have the hardware to prove it.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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