Jeremiah Smith put in his first bid for the 2026 Heisman Trophy on Saturday afternoon against Ball State.
It didn't take long for Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to answer Malachi Toney's opening night masterpiece.
Smith came out in the first game of his final year at Ohio State and just totally dominated the football game. His first target was a major miss by quarterback Julian Sayin before the guys locked in and got rolling.
Ball State decided to roll their coverage towards Smith, and the result was a major mistake. Smith found himself pretty much one-on-one with the Cardinals' safety.
Advantage Smith.
Jeremiah ran an out-and-up that the defender bit on, and Sayin released the football while Smith was at the 27-yard line. The ball floated through the air, and Smith tracked it all the way down. That didn't make it an easy catch. The defender closed the gap and was there when the ball arrived.
Again, it didn't matter because Smith got his right paw on the ball and pinned it on his shoulder and helmet before palming it and securing the catch.
He officially arrived for the 2026 season.
The rest of his day was just as good. He hauled in seven more catches for a total of 151 yards and two touchdowns on the day. His second touchdown was as professional as you will ever see.
He got bracket coverage and was running the endline of the end zone. Sayin pretty much put the football on his back shoulder, and Smith hauled it in and toe-tapped two feet in the end zone for a catch that would have counted on Sundays.
After this catch, Smith struck the Heisman pose in the back of the end zone, signifying that he knows what happened on Friday night, and he also showed that winning the award is important to him.
The best part about Smith is that while he wants to win the award, winning as a team is much, much more important to him.
Unfortunately, the Buckeyes' success doesn't hinge on what he brings to the table. Last year, he was the best player in the sport and had a fantastic postseason run, but the Buckeyes were not able to capitalize on it.
If the Buckeyes want to win the National Championship, they will need him to be great, but he is going to need some help.
Smith's final season in Columbus, Ohio, is off to a very hot start, a season that could be a Heisman Trophy campaign.
