Some things don’t sit right with elite athletes. Especially when the national title, pride, and receipts are all on the line. After leading Ohio State to a National Championship victory against Notre Dame, star WR Jeremiah Smith found himself the unexpected subject of some offseason social media heat. 

It started when PFF College revealed their No. 1 returning cornerback in College Football – Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore. On June 7, former Notre Dame RB and Super Bowl champion Jonas Gray shared that post on X, adding in his caption, which read, “He actually strapped up Jeremiah Smith in the Natty, but people aren’t ready to have that conversation yet.” And who else but Ohio State’s star WR himself, who found the need to respond. Sharing Gray’s post, Jeremiah Smith kept it short and simple — “Yea ok🤣” And there’s some truth to that. 

Before the National Championship game inside Mercedes Benz Stadium, Leonard Moore said of Jeremiah Smith, “He’s definitely an elite receiver. He’s big, he’s physical, he’s good at attacking the ball in the air. So we just got to be as good and better at attacking the ball this week, so be ready to challenge him.” The Irish defensive player is no slouch. He was named to the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list after ending the season with 48 tackles, 10 PBUs, and two forced fumbles. And he even went on to pull the Buckeyes receiver down in the first quarter for a 7-yard gain.

Jeremiah Smith, although starting relatively quietly, still made a difference. He was limited RJ five catches for 88 yards and a touchdown. But the dagger was a 56-yard rope from Will Howard on third-and-11 late in the fourth quarter when Notre Dame was mounting a comeback. It set up the field goal that iced the game and gave Ohio State the final celebration with a 34-23 win. The Buckeyes outgained Marcus Freeman‘s squad 445 yards to 308. And Smith was the guy that even Leonard Moore couldn’t contain when it mattered most. And he’s still unstoppable even in the offseason.

Jeremiah Smith’s growing Heisman hype 

Jeremiah Smith isn’t just clapping back on X. He’s quietly building one of the most hyped sophomore profiles college football’s seen in years, starting with gracing the EA Sports CFB 26 cover alongside Alabama WR Ryan Williams. As for his Heisman Trophy odds, he’s in the top five on every major sportsbook. In an episode on THE SCRIPT, Beanie Wells said, “When you look at the fact that Marvin Harrison Jr. was fourth in the Heisman with 1,211 yards and 14 TDs, and Jeremiah Smith, last year, had 1,355 yards and 15 TDs. That would have put him in that Heisman conversation already.”

For years, the Heisman Trophy has usually been clinched by QBs. So far, there have only been four wide receivers to ever receive the coveted award: Tim Brown, Desmond Howard, DeVonta Smith, and Travis Hunter. And while Jeremiah Smith’s explosiveness is a huge factor, Ohio State’s QB dilemma between Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz could deter his path. Who knows, the offense may run through No. 4 whether they want it to or not.

But one thing’s certain. Jeremiah Smith doesn’t need to say much to silence the doubters. He just lets the tape do the talking. And we’ll see that once the action kicks off in a huge opener against Texas.