Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith has already taken college football by storm.
After a standout true freshman season, the Buckeyes wide receiver is entering 2025 as one of the sport’s biggest stars. Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes Smith isn’t just the best player in the country — he could be on track to become one of the greatest of all time
In his recent “Top 10 Players in College Football for the 2025 Season” video on The Joel Klatt Show: A College Football Podcast, Klatt named Smith the No. 1 player in the country — and didn’t hesitate in doing so.
“The best player in college football next season, I think we can all say together, is Jeremiah Smith, the wide receiver out of Ohio State,” Klatt said. “I’ve never seen anything like this. 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. I’ve been around this sport my entire life.”
Smith arrived in Columbus as the top-ranked recruit in the 2024 class and somehow managed to exceed the lofty expectations that followed him. As a true freshman, he consistently looked like the most talented player on the field — and left seasoned defenders struggling to keep up.
Smith finished his freshman campaign with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, leading the Buckeyes in every major receiving category. His rare blend of size, speed, and polish quickly made him the centerpiece of Ohio State’s passing attack — and a driving force behind the Buckeyes' national championship run.
📲 Follow The Sporting News on WhatsApp
“Very rarely do we see a player that comes in with all the hype of Smith — No. 1 player in the country and so on and so forth — and then he doesn’t just live up to that, but he exceeds those expectations,” Klatt said. “He was the best player on the field at all times last year.”
When projecting Smith’s ceiling, Klatt didn’t hold back. He believes the Ohio State receiver has both the physical tools and the mindset to be historically special — even comparing him to all-time greats like Calvin Johnson and Julio Jones.
“He’s the best college football player I’ve ever seen,” Klatt said. “He’s the only guy that I can just sit there and think to myself, like, man, if he continues to have this type of head on his shoulders, if he continues to work, he can and will develop. He’s got the talent to be one of the best of all time.”
With Smith returning as the centerpiece of a loaded Ohio State offense, expectations in Columbus are sky-high. If Klatt’s evaluation holds true, fans could be witnessing the rise of a generational talent.