Talking about Ryan Day and co.’s expectations from Jeremiah Smith when it comes to the Heisman race? The wide receiver’s plate is full of expectations. The timing also seemed to be in Smith’s favor. Well, the Oklahoma Sooners announced that their quarterback, John Mateer, was undergoing surgery on his hand that will sideline him for several weeks. So, Smith’s path to the Heisman became a bit clearer. The last Ohio State Buckeyes player to win the Heisman Trophy was quarterback Troy Smith in 2006. So, Day must have been praying hard to see Smith lifting the bronze trophy. And here came the latest update, which does not go in the wide receiver’s favor.

Going by the September Heisman fever, it was all about Fernando Mendoza. Last month, Smith also gained a buzz ranking 27th in the FBS with 315 receiving yards and is tied for 43rd with 20 catches. Day’s wide receiver posted back-to-back 100-yard games versus Grambling and Ohio, including a 17-yard touchdown on a reverse against the Bobcats. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s hauled in three passes of 20+ yards for 176 total yards and two scores. But given October’s odds, Smith has been pushed below while the Oregon Ducks’ Dante Moore enjoys the spotlight.

On October 2, College Football Report came up with a tweet. It read, “UPDATED Heisman Odds, via @Kalshi: Dante Moore – 15% 🏆Ty Simpson – 11% Carson Beck – 9% Jeremiah Smith – 7% Fernando Mendoza – 6% Trinidad Chambliss – 5% John Mateer – 5% Julian Sayin – 5% Joey Aguilar – 4% Marcel Reed – 3% Jayden Maiava – 3% CJ Carr – 3% Arch Manning – 3%.” Well, in the list, Smith is the odd one out, being the only wide receiver among thirteen others. 

History shows the Heisman Trophy almost always goes to quarterbacks. Definitely, there have been exceptions like Travis Hunter in 2024,  WR DeVonta Smith in 2020. However, despite being one of the most electric talents in college football,  Smith sits at just 7% odds, behind several QBs with less production or hype. That gap reflects the systemic “QB bias” in the award’s voting, which inherently favors signal-callers over wideouts.

After what some called a slow start by his own elite standards, Smith has erupted over the past three weeks. In just four games, he’s totaled 28 catches for 396 yards and five touchdowns, quickly becoming freshman QB Julian Sayin’s go-to weapon. Yet then, he has been pushed behind Moore, Ty Simpson, and Carson Beck, even though, as per BetMGM, the Ohio State wide receiver has +1000 odds. While Smith must be eager about what the Heisman race holds for him in the long run, he is not ready to compromise with his production at present.   

Jeremiah Smith holds himself accountable

Smith walked into the 2025 season with a clear set of expectations. Last season, he ended on a great note, having racked up 76 catches, 1,315 yards, and 15 TDs. But in his sophomore season, he witnessed a big dud moment and was spotted leaving the field in Austin, frustrated, even after a 14-7 win over the Texas Longhorns. Why so?

On the Eleven Warriors podcast, Smith confessed,  “The last game I was frustrated [with] was probably Texas. They had them two drops. I was frustrated as well because we couldn’t finish in the red zone, and then the fade ball, I feel like I could have caught that ball Julian [Sayin] put in the right spot. So I feel I got to come down with that.” That’s how Smith held himself accountable for his own actions.

His usually reliable hands betrayed him early, with two easy drops in the opening quarter alone. The misfires halted drives and chipped at his confidence. By the final whistle, Smith had six catches for 43 yards and zero touchdowns. Well, that’s a performance almost unthinkable for someone chasing the Heisman.

Now chasing the Heisman trophy, if at any moment Smith wants some motivational juice to sip on, the Ohio State alum, and now Pittsburgh Steelers star, Will Howard, has got him covered. To the former Buckeyes, Smith gives away Marvin Harrison Jr. vibes. On the Not Just Football podcast, Howard said, “I remember watching him and Marv when I first got there, training for the draft,… He’s running routes with us and stuff, you know, I’m watching Marvin and I’m like, ‘Wow, this guy’s special.’”

He continued, “Then Jeremiah would get up and run the next route, and I’d be like, ‘Dude, that might be better.’ I mean, I’ve never seen anything like Marv, and then you see Jeremiah and it’s like, ‘Whoa.’” Talking about wooing the Ohio State fam, Jeremiah Smith’s work is half done. Now he just needs to stay in his lane and aim squarely at the Heisman.