The expectations for Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith ahead of what could be his final season in college football only keep increasing. Weeks away from the season opener, his name has emerged as one of the headliners for the predicted winners of a reputable award in college football.
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Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has just received preseason recognition as he was named to the 2026 Biletnikoff Award Preseason Watch List. The list was released by the Tallahassee Quarterback Club (TQC) Foundation, Inc., on Wednesday afternoon.
The Biletnikoff Award honors the FBS’ most outstanding pass-catcher. It recognizes wide receivers, tight ends, slot backs, running backs—any player who catches a pass. The winner is chosen by a 625-member panel of journalists, commentators, former players, and the Biletnikoff Award National Selection Committee. Semifinalists will be announced November 16, finalists on November 24, and the winner on December 11 during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
Jeremiah Smith’s preseason recognition as a junior underscores his accelerated trajectory. In just two seasons, he has already broken the FBS freshman receiving record with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 12 touchdowns, helping Ohio State win a national championship.
He followed that with 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns in his sophomore year, becoming one of only three Buckeyes ever to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Over two seasons, Smith leads the FBS in receiving yards and touchdowns. His 163 receptions rank second only to Toledo’s Junior Vandeross (167).
Along with the Biletnikoff Watch List, Smith is also on the Maxwell and Walter Camp Watch Lists and is a unanimous preseason First Team All-American.
Smith Was a Semi-Finalist Last Season
Smith was a semifinalist for the award in 2025, alongside teammate Carnell Tate. Tate recorded 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns before being drafted fourth overall by the Tennessee Titans in 2026.
The 2025 winner was USC’s Makai Lemon, who posted 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns before being selected 20th overall by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Other players on the 2026 Watch List include: Tennessee’s Mike Matthews and Braylon Staley; Texas’ Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman; Illinois’ Jayshon Platt; Clemson’s T.J. Moore; and Miami’s Cooper Barkate and Malachi Toney, among others.