The chemistry between quarterbacks and wide receivers is one of the qualities of any great football team, often tagged as a “perfect marriage.” As such, there is no better player to rate a wide receiver than a quarterback. Ohio State’s Julian Sayin was asked to rank the best Buckeyes wide receivers over the years. And naturally, the current QB1 decided to stick with his most lethal offensive weapon over a former Heisman Trophy finalist.

“I’m gonna go Marvin at two, go Jeremiah Smith at one,” Sayin said on The Triple Option podcast as he ranked seven of OSU’s top wide receivers in recent years. “I was also waiting for Chris Carter in there. I was waiting for Chris Carter to put him up there.”

Julian Sayin himself finished as a Heisman Trophy finalist after the 2025 season, ranking fourth with 432 points. He earned it with a performance that saw him lead the nation with a 77% completion rate, 3,610 passing yards, and 32 touchdowns.

His teammate, Jeremiah Smith, was also nominated, finishing two spots behind Sayin on the list. Even if there was a little drop, he was able to keep up with the reputation he built for himself in his mind-blowing freshman year. In his debut season, he had 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. His 11 100-yard games set an FBS freshman receiving record.

With a slight reduction, he recorded 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns last season. This earned him a sixth-place ranking on the Heisman Trophy list with 84 points. To Sayin, Smith’s records were enough to earn him the top spot in his rankings.

But Marvel Harrison Jr. had a legendary career as well, with his limited freshman season being the main advantage Smith has over him. Harrison rarely featured in his first season, with just five receptions for 68 yards in the 2021 regular season. But he announced himself in the Rose Bowl, where he caught six passes for 71 yards and three touchdowns.

His display in the Rose Bowl opened the way for him in the following season. He repaid the Buckeyes’ faith by recording 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns. He was voted a unanimous All-American and named the Richter–Howard Receiver of the Year. In the 2023 season, he delivered again with 1,211 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award. In the Heisman Trophy voting, he finished fourth.

But it’s hardly a surprise that Julian Sayin picked Jeremiah Smith. The latter has been described as ‘generation,’ with the potential to be the best player in the 2027 NFL Draft. Maybe if the question had been posed to CJ Stroud or Kyle McCord, the answer could have been different.

Julian Sayin ranks other wide receivers

The Ohio State QB1 ranked five other wide receivers behind Smith and Harrison. His top two clearly stand above the rest. But he seemed to have a preference for his former teammate, as Tate was ranked next following the pair.

“Carnell, my guy, played with him last year,” Sayin added. “Top five pick, I’m gonna put Carnell three. David Boston, I’m a little bit younger, so I wasn’t able to watch David Boston as much. I’m gonna go five. I was able to watch Michael Thomas a little bit as a kid. I’m gonna go Michael Thomas at four.

“Mek [Emeka Ebuka], I don’t wanna put him that low, but I know there are two more that I can’t put any higher. I’m gonna go Mek, six. KJ Hill, I gotta go seven, I’m waiting for the two.”

Entering the 2026 season, Sayin has the chance to solidify himself at the top of the list of QBs who featured for Ohio State. It won’t be an easy task since Columbus has seen some exceptional signal-callers over the years.