Jeremiah Smith Makes Heisman Statement With Four-Touchdown Performance

There are great games, and then there are performances that change the conversation around an entire season.

Jeremiah Smith may have just delivered the latter.

Ohio State’s superstar wide receiver put together the best statistical performance of his collegiate career Saturday, hauling in 12 receptions for 217 yards and four touchdowns as No. 7 Ohio State rolled past Illinois, 42-19, in its Big Ten opener at Ohio Stadium. All three numbers were career highs, while his four touchdown receptions tied the Ohio State single-game record. (FOX Sports)

For a Buckeye team trying to find its footing following an early-season loss to Texas, it was exactly the kind of afternoon Ohio State needed.

And for Smith, it might have been the afternoon that truly launched his Heisman campaign.

Smith Was Simply Unguardable

Illinois knew where the football was going.

It didn’t matter.

Smith scored on Ohio State’s opening possession with a seven-yard touchdown reception from Julian Sayin. A few minutes later, he turned a deep completion into a 72-yard touchdown, showing the combination of size, speed and open-field ability that has made him arguably the most difficult individual matchup in college football.

Before halftime, Smith added another — this time displaying the body control that has become almost routine for him, getting a foot down in the end zone for a nine-yard score.

Three touchdowns. Eight catches. 150 yards.

And that was just the first half. (Eleven Warriors)

Smith eventually added his fourth touchdown on a 26-yard reception in the fourth quarter, tying an Ohio State record previously reached by Bob Grimes, Terry Glenn, Dane Sanzenbacher and Noah Brown. He also became just the sixth Buckeye receiver to record a 200-yard receiving game. (Eleven Warriors)

At Ohio State, that’s saying something.

This is the same program that has sent Marvin Harrison Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Emeka Egbuka and countless other receivers to the NFL.

Yet Smith continues to make Ohio State receiving history look temporary.

Is It Time to Seriously Talk Heisman?

The Heisman Trophy has traditionally belonged to quarterbacks.

Smith is building a case that could challenge that tradition.

He entered Saturday with 400 receiving yards and three touchdowns through Ohio State’s first three games. After dismantling Illinois, his season totals jumped to 33 receptions, 617 yards and seven touchdowns through four games. (FOX Sports)

But Smith’s case goes beyond a stat sheet.

The Heisman is supposed to recognize one of college football’s most outstanding players, and there may not be another non-quarterback in the country who changes how an opposing defense operates quite like Smith.

He’s explosive enough to turn one mistake into a 70-yard touchdown. He’s physical enough to win contested catches. He can beat defenders underneath, over the top or after the catch.

And he’s producing despite everyone in the stadium knowing he’s Ohio State’s primary weapon.

Smith also has history working against him. Only three wide receivers have won the Heisman Trophy: Johnny Rodgers, Tim Brown and DeVonta Smith. The last to do it was DeVonta Smith at Alabama in 2020.

If Jeremiah Smith wants to become the next, performances like Saturday’s are exactly how it happens.

Even Ryan Day made the case for his receiver after the game.

“If there’s a better player in the country, it’s hard to imagine,” Day said following the victory. (CBS News)

There is still a long season ahead, and the Heisman race will change plenty between now and December. But Smith has firmly put himself in the center of that conversation.

Ohio State Looks Like Ohio State Again

Perhaps just as important as Smith’s individual performance was what Saturday represented for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State finally looked dangerous again.

Julian Sayin finished 27-of-36 for 367 yards and four passing touchdowns, while also adding a rushing score. His growing connection with Smith gave the Buckeyes the vertical threat that can make this offense nearly impossible to defend when everything is clicking. (Yahoo Sports)

After the disappointment of the loss to Texas, Ohio State has now responded with consecutive victories over Kent State and Illinois, improving to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Big Ten play. (Eleven Warriors)

There are still issues to address.

Illinois accumulated more than 400 yards of offense, including 199 on the ground, becoming the first opponent since Oregon in 2024 to surpass 400 total yards against the Buckeyes. That won’t be good enough when Ohio State reaches the most difficult portion of its Big Ten schedule. (Eleven Warriors)

But offensively, the identity is becoming much clearer.

Get the ball to No. 4 and let him change the game.

Ohio State’s national championship aspirations took an early hit against Texas. They didn’t disappear. Saturday felt like another step toward putting that loss in the rearview mirror and getting the Buckeyes back into the national conversation.

And if Smith keeps producing afternoons like this one, Ohio State might not be the only thing returning to the national spotlight.

The Buckeyes could have another Heisman Trophy winner on their hands.