Who would have thought a rookie wide receiver would break all the records and give the Bucks a championship win in his first season? A dynamic 2024 season of 76 catches for 1,315 yards with 15 sweet TDs. This year? The team is already 7-0 with five-star recruit Jeremiah Smith sparking Heisman and early draft pick buzz. This level of success makes him worth the $4.2 million NIL valuation, unlike Arch Manning, who fails to justify his 5-star status and hefty NIL value.

Curt Cignetti once compared Jeremiah Smith to legendary wide receiver Julio Jones, and this guy is proving every game why that is so. Entering Week 9, Smith has already recorded 49 reps for 602 yards with seven touchdowns, and all this is coming while going in with Carnell Tate, who’s cutting down his production.

So, what’s wrong with grabbing massive NIL deals? That’s what NFL’s legendary WR Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson is trying to point out in the Nightcap podcast. “One of the players that makes the most, you know, Jeremiah Smith. Every time he is on the field, you’re locked in because something’s going to happen,” he said.

That’s not far from the truth. Despite a brief injury scare, Jeremiah Smith ended the night with one touchdown on five catches for 42 yards in his match against Illinois. That shows his constant resilience and grit.

“You don’t know what, and you don’t know when, but you know it’s going to happen. Yeah, I agree. That’s a five-star. That’s someone that is worth every penny he’s being paid in NIL. There are very few of him in the entirety of college football,” Johnson added. There are very few of them, and Arch Manning isn’t one of them.

Arch Manning holds the No. 1 spot in On3’s NIL database, holding a $4.7 million valuation. Ironically, this season he has shown nothing but struggles. Remember his game against UTEP? He just completed 11 of 25 passes for 114 yards with a touchdown and an interception and rushed for 51 yards with two TDs. What raised red flags were his 10 consecutive incompletions. Things have come to a point that the guy who entered this season with the No. 1 pick buzz is sliding down the odds every week. So, the guy who was a threat to Jeremiah Smith’s no. 1 draft pick is trying to find momentum in the game. He’s not turning heads on the field, but off it, too.

On the other hand, Smith’s exceptional showing just got him into the Red Bull Can. He becomes the first college athlete to feature in it. The deal was signed back in 2024 to promote sales, and now Smith’s in the can, making a one-handed catch. This shows how far someone like Smith came without the power of his last name. However, one factor can still hamper his draft buzz if he gets eligibility for the 2026 season.

Jeremiah Smith draft buzz takes a hit

Ohio State looks unstoppable at the moment, going undefeated in the season. However, the only concern remains in their run game: they averaged four yards a carry for 98 yards on 28 carries against the Badgers for the second straight week and third game of the season. However, their wide receivers group has been reliable since the start. And that’s because of the explosive duo Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate.

But Tate’s emergence is becoming a problem for Smith. His performance is already turning heads this season, making him a more reliable option for Ryan Day. Every coach loves to have roster depth issues. Tate has already recorded 587 yards through mid-October with six touchdowns and 34 receptions. His 6-foot-3, 195-pound size gives him a perfect blend of size and body control, silencing his doubters about his ceiling.

His performance against Wisconsin even outshone Jeremiah Smith, as he went in for six catches for 111 yards with 2 TDs, but Smith had nine catches for 97 yards. With that, ESPN’s Matt Miller places Tate among elite prospects in the 2026 class, saying, “Tate (6-3, 195) has the all-around game to receive a Round 1 grade, especially in a class with limited top-tier receiver prospects.” This isn’t pleasing news for Smith, who’s in the race too.

Even Brian Hartline sees a bright pro future for himself. As he praised his rise, “Carnell kind of turned the switch on his own. He’s a self-driven individual… I think he identified that when Emeka [Egbuka] left there was going to be a potential void from a leadership standpoint, and he just grabbed it by the wings and ran with it.” With all the hype, it will be interesting to see which one gets picked first.