Ryan Day is making it clear that Ohio State has no intention of letting Jeremiah Smith’s Heisman campaign fade away. Just one week after former Alabama star Damien Harris suggested Smith should shut down his season following the Buckeyes’ loss to Oregon, Day has publicly thrown his full support behind his star wide receiver.
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Day’s comments were about more than Smith’s numbers. The Ohio State coach pointed to the amount of attention Smith receives every week and the fact that defenses know exactly who they have to stop. Despite that, Smith has continued to produce at an elite level, even after freshman Luke Fahey took over at quarterback following Julian Sayin’s injury.
“I know there are a lot of great players out there. But first off, this isn’t just one year. Not that I guess the Heisman has anything to do with years previous, but there’s a lot of testimony to what type of a player he is,” Ryan Day said in the post-game presser. “And then going into the season, knowing that everybody in the country wants to shut him down, he’s still able to produce at a high level with a freshman quarterback now.
“And I think when you combine all those things together, maybe there is a better player out there. But this guy is completely dominant, and I think he deserves it in a big way.”
This has to be the first time Ryan Day has apparently decided to jump for one of his players in the Heisman race!
That argument is backed up by the numbers. Smith entered the Northwestern game with 69 catches for 1,200 yards and 14 touchdowns, ranking second nationally in receiving yards and first in touchdown catches. He had also already put together massive performances against Illinois and Iowa, going for 217 and 206 receiving yards, respectively.
And the production did not slow down against Northwestern. Smith caught 11 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State’s 28-19 win, giving him 80 receptions, 1,317 yards and 15 touchdowns on the season. He also broke the Big Ten career receiving-yardage record during the game, adding another major accomplishment to a résumé that already includes the conference’s career touchdown record.
That is why Day believes Smith deserves serious consideration for the Heisman, even with Ohio State sitting at 7-3 and facing an uphill battle to reach the College Football Playoff. The Buckeyes themselves launched the “JJ 4 It All” campaign this week, backing Smith for the Heisman, Biletnikoff, Maxwell and Walter Camp Player of the Year awards.
But Day also highlighted something that goes beyond the stat sheet. He believes Smith’s strongest argument is the way he approaches the game and how much winning matters to him. After the Oregon loss, Smith’s visible frustration became a major talking point, with some critics questioning his reaction and others wondering whether he would even continue playing the rest of the season.
“The thing that makes him even more special is, yeah, he takes pride in that, but he just wants to win,” Ryan Day said. “I mean, he’s just happy when he’s with his teammates winning the game. That’s all he cares about. And so when he doesn’t win, man, he gets emotional, and that’s the type of person he is. So, obviously, I feel very, very strongly about that with him, and I hope that the voters look at that because this is something, in my opinion, he deserves.”
Smith has already established himself as the program’s all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, while also helping the Buckeyes win the 2024 national championship. He has now added another record-breaking season to that résumé.
Day knows there are other players competing for the Heisman, but he made his position unmistakable.
For Smith, the next two games against Nebraska and Michigan give him another chance to strengthen that case. For Day, there is little question about who he believes should be holding the Heisman Trophy when the season ends.