“Generational” might not even be enough to describe Jeremiah Smith at this point.
The Ohio State star wide receiver Smith produced his best work yet on Saturday against Illinois. Smith erupted for 12 catches for 217 yards and a whopping four touchdowns, sparking the No. 7-ranked Buckeyes to a 42-19 victory at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.
Perhaps the most impressive catch by Smith came on a second-quarter toe-tap catch near the back of the end zone for a ridiculous touchdown (with Illini cornerback Tywan Cox draped all over him). Check out the video.
WOW: HOW IN THE WORLD DID JEREMIAH SMITH CATCH THIS AND GET A FOOT DOWN?! pic.twitter.com/NnBINlqOj6
— Polymarket Sports (@PolymarketSport) September 26, 2026
Social media was left absolutely stunned by the performance. Fans all said over X that Smith was sure to be the No. 1 overall pick in next year’s NFL Draft, even for a team that needed a quarterback.
GMs that need a quarterback watching Jeremiah Smith pic.twitter.com/rdHBKMTDYV
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 26, 2026
Jeremiah Smith is going number one in next years draft over every single QB available 🤷🏻♂️
— Graphk Raider (@GraphkRaider) September 26, 2026
Jeremiah Smith should be the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft. I do not care if he’s a wide receiver. He’s the greatest college player I have ever seen.
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) September 26, 2026
“The Miami Dolphins are on the clock”
— Underdog (@Underdog) September 26, 2026
The Dolphins GM picking Jeremiah Smith: https://t.co/HEfOB7JfVI pic.twitter.com/U13Q1YYI2S
Smith, the 20-year-old junior, was already a national champion in 2024 and a unanimous All-American in 2025 (also leading the Big Ten in receiving yards in both years). Now with Smith’s big performance on Saturday, he tied Ohio State’s single-game receiving touchdowns record and seemingly locked himself into frontrunner status for the 2026 Heisman Trophy.
The last wide receiver to go No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft was Keyshawn Johnson all the way back in 1996. While there are also plenty of talented QB prospects this year (including Arch Manning, Dante Moore, and Darian Mensah), Smith, who might also be the most marketable prospect in some time, is likely sitting at the very top of most mock drafts at this point.
