Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State Star, Projected as First-Round NFL Draft Pick, Featured on College Football 26 Cover

June 9, 2025 by Staff

If there was any doubt as to the quality possessed by Ohio wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and there are many who see the Buckeyes star as a potential first round NFL Draft pick, then his inclusion on the cover of the College Football 26 video game should prove as yet more proof that he is very much a star in the making.

The Sophomore racked up 15 touchdowns last season and secured 1315 receiving yards, and many expect Smith to go above and beyond those metrics in the upcoming season. He is tipped by many to be a Heisman Trophy contender and a player that head coach Ryan Day will be counting on to produce the goods in 2025.

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Smith’s obvious potential helped get him added to ESPN’s list of top playmakers for 2025, with one defensive coordinator commenting on his abilities.

"For a true freshman to come in and win the Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year, have the yards that he's had and command the kind of attention and coverage that he commanded, it's like, 'Wow,'"

Smith’s impact on Ohio State’s run to the national championship was obvious. He had three or more receptions in every single regular-season game, caught touchdown passes in each of his first seven college contests, and completed five TD grabs while averaging 20.1 yards per catch during Ohio State's run to the national championship.

His return in 2024 made life a lot easier for coach Ryan Day, and in his sixth season in charge of the Buckeyes, he ended a ten-year wait for the prestigious title and the 46-year-old leader is very excited about what the future holds.

“When you’re a first-time head coach at a place like Ohio State, and you get so close (to winning a national championship), you don’t get the benefit of the doubt. Once you win that national championship, for the most part, you’ll get the benefit of the doubt moving forward,"

"Not that anything is guaranteed because once you lose a game, it’s not good (laughs).”

"But that’s part of the job here. It’s part of the excellence. It’s a wonderful place to be. You get to be around great people, you get to recruit great people — even in a day and age where there’s a lot of craziness going on. But we do, we have good people here.”

“Our culture is very, very strong. I always kind of said to recruits and families, ‘If we win one of these national championships, watch out, we’re gonna be doing it for a while, and it’s gonna be a lot of fun,’” Day concluded.

As for Jeremiah Smith, well, being added to the cover of College Football 26 says it all, and it’s an honor he shares with 17-year-old Alabama freshman Ryan Williams.