Heisman 2025: College Football Freshman Dubbed to Go Against All Odds & Claim Glory

Travis Hunter unapologetically took all the limelight on a glittery Saturday night. He took the 79th Heisman trophy with 552 first-place votes. He took the fans in a predictable storm. He took and left no crumbs. Of course, he deserved every bit of it. The journey to New York was not a cakewalk. He fought off Dillon Gabriel, Cam Ward, and Ashton Jeanty in a close battle. But the closest we have seen in a while was Hunter vs Jeanty. The Boise State star made it an uphill battle for the two-way Colorado star. It’s just a matter of 2,231 and 2,017. However, the next year is on the line. All the finalists and some newbies are expected to have a second shot at the coveted trophy. Is there a chance for Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith to carry the unconventional trend of Travis Hunter forward?

”I think it is a no-brainer for me, Jeremiah Smith, best wide receiver in the sport 2025. He had 57 catches for 954 yards before they played their first-round game against Tennessee with 10 TDs. I mean, as a true freshman, he was the best wide receiver on one of the best teams in the country. He’s going to be the dominant number one and leader in that zone six receiving core that only gets better,” said RJ Young in an eye-opening overview of the 2025 Heisman scenario.

You might argue it’s too early to land a prediction, but looking at Smith’s numbers and value, it doesn’t seem too farfetched at all. As Emeka Egbuka is eying a top NFL Draft, Jeremiah Smith will be the, by default, next guy to look up to among Brian Hartline’s wide receiver squad. He just needs more and more support from Ryan Day and Chip Kelly to get more receiving yards.

”We’re going to talk about Jeremiah Smith like we’ve been talking about Marvin Harrison Jr, Jackson Smith and Jim Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, but more than that, he could walk away from Ohio State as the best receiver who has ever played there and he is on a short list of players that has generational talent not unlike Travis Hunter,” the veteran analyst added.

The Heisman trophy traditionally belongs to the QBs. But Hunter’s remarkable season with the Buffs broke that unofficial rule and he became the first-ever non-quarterback Heisman winner since 2020. Hunter, in the middle of his campaign, faced a frustrating setback as an acute shoulder injury cut two games from his resume and brought the Heisman odds to a significant low. But Coach Prime’s boy is tough. He bounced back and lived up to his dream, setting an example for the rest of the CFB world to go by.

Like Hunter, Jeremiah Smith was the top-ranked prospect in the nation coming out of high school. He is a wide receiver, too. He might not be a cornerback, but he is well-crafted in his role. You never know, next year, you might have to track the Heisman odds for the 19-year-old who outdid Cris Carter’s most touchdowns by an OSU freshman record in the mid season. But will he stay true to the Buckeyes amidst the huge Ryan Day controversy?

Is Jeremiah Smith adding fuel to the anti-Ryan Day campaign? 

Ryan Day has long been a middle of brickbats. The coach made it a ritual for the Buckeyes to lose it on their big day. Despite having a good overall record of 62-9 in his sixth year in Columbus. Day brutally failed to prove his faculty when it came to a big game. Amassing fourth straight loss to their arch-rival, Michigan, isn’t something too small to be ignored. Fans keep on getting on his nerves on social media with random Fire Ryan Day hashtags.

Although OSU AD Ross Bjork backed up his potential for another year tenure with the Buckeyes, he himself ended up gaining some unnecessary wrath on his administrative prudence. Amidst the boiling debate, Jeremiah Smith’s recent social media activity sparked concern for the Buckeyes O-line.

He liked an Instagram post by comedian Beverly Mahone, who labeled Ryan Day “inept” for the Buckeyes’ failure against the Wolverines. Is everything all right between the coach-WR? Is Jeremiah Smith seated in his tenure with the Buckeyes? These are some questions that can change the trajectory for Ohio State football in the near future.