Ohio State football’s Jeremiah Smith nearly tops Bruce Feldman’s Freaks List, but he’s not No. 1

With the Ohio State football team preparing for the 2026 season, there is no denying the high expectations the program has, especially individually with specific players. As Ohio State football star Jeremiah Smith looks to grab everyone’s attention this season, his skills with frame are sure to impress, though this college football analyst believes he isn’t the No. 1 player in a certain category.

Bruce Feldman of The Athletic had a “College Football Freaks List,” determining the top athlete regarding athleticism and build aside from being the best player in the nation. For the Buckeyes wide receiver in Smith, he took the top spot last season, though this year, Feldman gave it to South Carolina receiver Nyck Harbor, coming in at six-foot, six-inches and 243 pounds.

Still, Feldman has Smith as the “best player on this list and in the country.”

“Last year’s top Freak, Smith won’t turn 21 until the day after the regular season ends. His 2,558 receiving yards and 27 TD receptions are the most by any Big Ten receiver in his first two years in college. Last year, he had 87 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 TDs despite everyone knowing he was going to be the focal point of the Buckeyes’ offense,” Feldman wrote.

More on the upcoming season for Ohio State football’s Jeremiah Smith

This past season for the Ohio State football team, Smith recorded 1,243 yards on 87 receptions to go along with 12 touchdowns, as he looks to further improve in his junior season. Feldman would say that going into 2026, Smith is “bigger,” saying his “explosiveness” is familiar to that of fellow South Florida-native Andre Johnson.

“The 6-3 1/2-inch Smith is bigger than he was last year, weighing 224 pounds,” Feldman wrote. “His explosiveness for that size is reminiscent of another Freak WR from South Florida, Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson. In a program stocked with high-level athletes, Smith — a super-sized wideout — ran a 1.44-second 10-yard sprint, fastest in the Buckeyes program.”

At any rate, Smith and the Buckeyes look to make their mark in 2026, with Week 1 of the season coming on Saturday afternoon, Sep. 5 against the Ball State Cardinals.

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