Ohio State University football coach Ryan Day talks with broadcaster Joel Klatt Doral Chenoweth/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Joel Klatt names the ‘best player’ in college football without hesitation

Originally posted on NIL on SI | By JC Shelton | Last updated Jul 28, 2025 2:18 PM ET

One college football player sits above the rest entering the 2025 season, according to former Colorado quarterback and Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt.

Quarterbacks usually demand the spotlight, and there are no shortage of options at the position this year. Star passers like Arch Manning (Texas), Garret Nussmeier (LSU), Drew Allar (Penn State) and Cade Klubnik (Clemson) will be talked about all season.

However, Klatt's choice comes at wide receiver, where Jeremiah Smith helped propel Ohio State to a national championship as a true freshman last season.

“The best player in college football for next year – I think we can all say this together by the way – is Jeremiah Smith, the wide receiver for Ohio State," he said on "The Joel Klatt Show."

Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Smith broke Ohio State freshman receiving records in 2024 by totaling 1,315 receiving yards on 76 catches with 15 touchdowns. He earned Big Ten freshman and receiver of the year honors while also being named a First-Team All-American.

Klatt admitted that he hadn't seen a true freshman as dominant as Smith since he played against Oklahoma and star running back Adrian Peterson in 2004.

"I've never seen anything like this," Klatt continued. "I played against Adrian Peterson when he was a true freshman at Oklahoma, and those are the only two guys that I've ever seen, and I've been around this sport my entire life, those are the only two guys that I've ever seen that I'm like, 'Yeah, they could have played, and not only played, but succeeded in the National Football League right away out of high school.'"

Smith certainly lived up to his five-star pedigree in Year 1. The Opa Locka, Florida, native signed with the Buckeyes as the No. 1 player in the class of 2024 when coming out of Chaminade-Madonna High School.

Smith, only a sophomore, ranks third among all college athletes with a $4.2 million On3 NIL valuation.

"Very rarely, very rarely, do we see a player that comes in with all the hype of Smith, number one player in the country, so on and so forth," Klatt said. "And then he doesn't just live up to that, but he exceeds those expectations. He was the best player on the field at all times last year.”

It's safe to say Smith will be more lethal in 2025 with a season under his belt and another offseason of development under acclaimed position coach Brian Hartline.

Ohio State will open the season with a high-profile matchup against Texas at home on Aug. 30 at noon ET (Fox).

This article first appeared on NIL on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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