SOPHOMORE SENSATION: Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith Rockets to Top of 2025 Heisman Odds After Electrifying Spring Showcase

COLUMBUS, Ohio — The scarlet‑and‑gray faithful poured into Ohio Stadium last weekend expecting a casual tune‑up scrimmage. Instead, they witnessed the opening scene of what might become the most riveting individual campaign in recent Buckeye history. Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, barely 18 months removed from his record‑shattering high‑school career, demolished every coverage scheme Ohio State’s defense threw at him during the 2025 Spring Showcase, igniting instant Heisman whispers that now echo far beyond the banks of the Olentangy.

Smith’s arrival in 2024 was heralded by recruiting analysts as program‑altering, yet even the boldest pundits couldn’t script the velocity of his rise. As a true freshman last fall, he torched Big Ten secondaries for 1,212 yards and 13 touchdowns, rewriting freshman receiving records once held by Garrett Wilson. Those numbers placed him firmly on preseason award watch lists, but Saturday’s spectacle vaulted him into a different stratosphere.

Facing the Buckeyes’ first‑team defense—headlined by All‑America corner Denzel Burke and budding shutdown specialist Aaron Scott Jr.—Smith hauled in nine passes for 212 yards and four touchdowns … by halftime. The most jaw‑dropping sequence came late in the second quarter: a double‑move on a skinny post that left Burke grasping air, followed by a one‑handed snag at the pylon that sent 78,000 fans into delirium. Offensive coordinator Chip Kelly (embracing his second offseason in Columbus) simply shook his head in disbelief. “You can’t coach that level of suddenness,” Kelly told reporters. “All you can do is put the ball in the vicinity and let him paint.”

Quarterback Devin Brown, back for a senior encore after flirting with the NFL Draft, looks poised to benefit most from Smith’s ascendance. Brown targeted the sophomore 12 times during the scrimmage, completing 11. More importantly, he hit Smith in every sector of the field—quick hitches, back‑shoulder fades, deep posts—showcasing timing that mid‑April teams rarely own. Ryan Day credited winter player‑run practices for their unspoken rhythm. “They lived in the Woody (Hayes Athletic Center) from January through March,” Day said. “Jeremiah’s obsessiveness is rubbing off on the entire room.”

That relationship has already tilted Vegas odds. DraftKings moved Smith to +550 to win the Heisman on Monday morning, leap‑frogging USC quarterback Malachi Nelson and Texas A&M dual‑threat Conner Weigman. No pure wideout has claimed the trophy since DeVonta Smith in 2020; Jeremiah’s camp is acutely aware of the historical hurdle. “Individual awards come when the team wins big games,” he said after the showcase, flashing a grin that betrayed both confidence and humility. “That’s the Buckeye standard.”

What differentiates Smith from recent Ohio State stars is not merely athleticism—though his verified 4.34 forty and 40‑inch vertical remain the envy of every defensive coordinator—but surgical footwork at the top of routes. Veteran DBs describe his releases as “basketball crossovers on grass.” Pair that with 205‑pound strength and wingspan, and contested catches become routine. During seven‑on‑seven red‑zone drills, he wrestled a fade away from two defenders, then immediately motioned for the second‑team offense to hurry to the line, demanding more reps. “He practices like he’s chasing ghosts,” strength coach Mick Marotti said. “That’s what greatness looks like on the day‑to‑day level.”

Smith’s dominance also energizes a receiver corps brimming with potential. Junior Carnell Tate (67 receptions, 910 yards in 2024) flourished opposite him Saturday, consistently exploiting single coverage. Slot maestro Mylan Graham and true freshman Braylon St. Clair both scored, benefiting from the defensive gravity Smith commands. Kelly hinted that Ohio State might lean heavier into four‑wide sets this fall, a nightmare for slower Big Ten secondaries.

On the defensive side, coaches spun the scrimmage into a teaching moment. “If you can cover him, you can cover anybody,” secondary coach Tim Walton quipped. Film sessions this week will spotlight technique lapses exposed by Smith’s acceleration—further sharpening what was already the league’s No. 1 pass defense a year ago.

Of course, April heroics don’t guarantee December hardware. Ohio State’s early schedule is laden with prove‑it matchups: a neutral‑site opener versus Texas in Arlington (6 September), an October night clash at Oregon, and the perennial measuring‑stick duel with Michigan in Ann Arbor on 29 November. Smith will see NFL‑caliber corners in each contest, and sustained brilliance—not a single spring outburst—will solidify his candidacy.

Yet one can’t ignore the parallels to 2020 Alabama or 2019 LSU, offenses propelled by unstoppable aerial weapons en route to titles and Heismans. Buckeye teammates speak openly about that precedent. “We all watched DeVonta do it,” Brown said. “Why not Jeremiah?”

Smith’s surge reverberates beyond Columbus. Draft analysts already slot him as the potential No. 1 overall pick in 2027. NIL valuation platforms estimate his endorsement portfolio—anchored by a Columbus‑based beverage startup and a national sports apparel brand—could eclipse $7 million by season’s end. Meanwhile, Big Ten coaches privately grumble about a talent gap widening even as USC and Oregon join the league. “He’s one of those players who can change title odds on his own,” a West‑Coast coach admitted.

If spring games are meant to tease storylines, Jeremiah Smith just served college football its main plot. The sophomore set Ohio Stadium ablaze, planted his flag in the Heisman race, and, in the process, gave Buckeye Nation a fresh rallying cry: Feed No. 4 and watch history unfold. September will bring fiercer resistance, battered bodies, and swirling autumn winds, but one reality is already crystallizing—Jeremiah Smith isn’t merely chasing greatness; he’s daring the sport to keep up.