They say that the Heisman is for quarterbacks and big names. Jeremiah Smith isn’t buying it; the Ohio State phenom is not playing games; he’s changing the playbook. Following a beast of a freshman season that even the SEC was doubling back on, Smith has one goal on his mind going into 2025: winning the Biletnikoff Award and staking his claim as the greatest wideout in college football.

While it takes most young stars to imagine piling up awards and media attention. Not Smith; he’s pursuing Travis Hunter. The Colorado phenom walked away with the Heisman and the Biletnikoff in 2024, but Smith? He’s coming for that crown, step by step. And he’s not letting the hype get him. He has his eye set on something more important.

“Heisman, you know how that goes. I mean, whoever the most popular, got the biggest name. So, I really don’t think too much of that,” Smith told Yahoo Sports. “But the Biletnikoff, best receiver award, definitely something I’m aiming towards. That’s a goal of mine for sure.” Jeremiah concluded. The guy’s focused. And it makes sense. He shredded college defenses last season with 76 receptions, 1,315 yards, and 15 touchdowns as a freshman. That’s not good. That’s generational.

Put that alongside Travis Hunter’s mythical 2024 season, 92 catches, 1,152 yards, 14 touchdowns, and All-American corner play. It was charged up. Heisman-worthy, for sure. But Jeremiah’s numbers were neater and against elite competition to close the season. He had a title-game performance that’ll be remembered in Buckeye lore, more than 150 yards and a game-clinching grab on 3rd-and-11 to bury Notre Dame. Hunter may have done it on both sides of the ball, but Smith did what great receivers do: dominate every snap and make it look easy.

Now in 2025, all of the major outlets have Smith slotted as the best wideout in the nation. ESPN? Number one on their preseason WR ranking. CFB Twitter? Already dubbing him “WR1 of the decade.” And let’s be real, he’s not crazy to think the Heisman is as much a brand contest as a performance contest. That’s why Smith’s aiming at the Biletnikoff. He’s not waiting for media buzz to anoint him. He’s going to earn it the way he knows how, by burning DBs up every Saturday and showing everybody that WR1 resides in Columbus. However, if you need any further evidence that Jeremiah Smith is the man in Columbus presently, just hear what Ryan Day had to say concerning him.

Ryan Day shares fresh insights on Jeremiah Smith’s role

Entering 2025, it’s not only fans or observers placing Jeremiah Smith on a pedestal; Ryan Day is all-in as well. The Ohio State head coach recently opened up during Big Ten Media Days, discussing how integral Smith has become to the Buckeyes’ offense. Whether spring drills, film sessions, or conditioning, Smith has been leading the charge. He is no longer just a star receiver; he’s the player Day is building his playbook around literally.

“You know, when coaches come in,” Day said during Big Ten Media Days, “they have to write down their favorite play and draw it up, and go through the details of it all. And I just wrote right throw the ball to number four. And I just handed it to him like that. That’s my number one play.” 

And that says it all. With Smith assuming a leadership position and Day openly referring to him as the centerpiece, 2025 might be a season for the books. He’s not only pursuing the Biletnikoff; he’s wearing championship expectations, legacy talk, and an entire city of scarlet-and-gray aspirations on his back. If the ball’s going to No. 4, the rest of college football had better be prepared.