As a redshirt freshman in 2024, Jeremiah Smith flourished in the limelight. With a top-ranked incoming recruit and the highest-rated wide receiver in high school history, the bar was set extremely high. Yet Smith didn’t just meet expectations; he surpassed them. Breaking Big Ten freshman records for 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, and leading Ohio State to a national championship. Now, going into his sophomore year, the buzz around Smith is even louder. Insiders already hail him as a top pick to win all the major awards, including the Heisman. The energy in Columbus is fire: fans, and teammates are expecting another dominant season as Smith continues to blow up defenses.

Smith’s clutch catches, including his game-sealing 56-yard reception against Notre Dame, have already cemented him as a Buckeye favorite. He’s not draft-eligible until 2027, but that doesn’t deter NFL scouts from eyeing him. His stats are pretty impressive on the field, but here’s a bigger announcement. Jeremiah Smith recently made history off the field, too.

EA Sports released a statement stating that he’ll be the first Ohio State player in history to appear on their legendary college football video game, ‘College Football 26‘. That’s right. Smith is now officially the face of the game, alongside Alabama’s Ryan Williams as co-cover athletes. It’s a full-circle experience for Smith, who used to play EA Sports games growing up. This shows the impact Smith has made in such a short time. Ohio State took to X to share the news, they captioned it as, “1st Ohio State 𝗘𝗔 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲.”

1st Ohio State 𝗘𝗔 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘁𝗵𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲 🎮
@EASPORTSCollege x @Jermiah_Smith1 pic.twitter.com/IpvXyDEz6q

Two wide receivers are taking center stage on the cover, symbolizing two of the sport of college football’s hottest programs, Alabama and Ohio State. The base game will have both Smith and Williams in the starring role, but the deluxe game takes it to the max, not only including these up-and-comers but a roster of college football legends, legendary mascots, and head coaches such as Kirby Smart and Ryan Day. It’s all about a commemoration of the sport’s past, present, and future, all combined into one thing.

You must be wondering, why them? Both Smith and Williams burst onto the scene as freshmen in 2024, making plays for the jaw-dropping highlight reels and setting records. Williams’ spinning touchdown reception from Georgia was video game highlight material, while Smith was an integral part of Ohio State’s run to a national championship, grabbing one-handed catches routinely that left defenders behind. The complete reveal of College Football 26 takes place Thursday, May 29, with a further dive into gameplay, features, and the rich environment EA’s renowned for. Early access on July 7 is available to pre-orders of the MVP bundle a couple of days ahead of the July 10 launch date on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. After an honor like this, Coach Day also couldn’t keep calm.

HC Ryan Day joins in Ohio State’s finest show off 

If you haven’t seen it yet, Ohio State just shared an update on their Instagram that’s got Buckeye Nation, and frankly, all of college football buzzing. The photo shows head coach Ryan Day, star receiver Jeremiah Smith, and defensive stalwart Caleb Downs posing together, each of them smiling and holding a copy of the brand-new EA Sports College Football 26 game. The photo just exudes hype and pride.

Ryan Day appears to be the proudest coach in America. Day has been an enormous contributor to Ohio State’s recent success, and having him up front with two of his top stars is proof of how much this moment signifies for the program. Smith is essentially living every college football fan’s dream at this point. In the picture, Smith’s grin says it all—he’s taking it all in and enjoying every bit of it. It’s not hard to tell our boy is relishing the vibe and the attention.