No. 1 Ohio State at Washington has the makings of Jeremiah Smith’s loud introduction to 2025’s Heisman party

The top of the Heisman Trophy odds sheet has undergone a makeover in the first month of the season after college football’s projected star quarterbacks struggled through early problems.

Of the preseason top-five in the FanDuel Sportsbook Heisman odds, only Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is still there. At +1100, he is the only receiver with Heisman odds of better than 100-to-1 entering Week 5 and the only non-quarterback with odds of better than 50-to-1.

Smith’s stock may be rising even higher Saturday, when the No. 1 Buckeyes travel to face Washington in a Big Ten clash on CBS (3:30 p.m. ET, also on Paramount+ Premium). 

The star sophomore enters a showcase opportunity against the Huskies as a vital cog in a Buckeyes offense that is ready to tee off following a subdued start. Ohio State rode its defense to a 14-7 Week 1 win over Texas. Since then, it has played two overmatched opponents and had a bye week.

As just an 8-point favorite against Washington, Ohio State is finally set to unveil its true offensive capabilities against an opponent with questionable defensive credentials. That could mean a big day is coming for Smith, who ranked No. 4 nationally in receiving yards last season with 1,315 as a true freshman.

The former five-star prospect has already amassed 315 yards receiving and three touchdowns in just three games and reinforced his place as a potential No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft once he’s finally eligible in 2027.

But the first 25% of his regular season featured an uncharacteristically quiet showing against Texas, which included two drops, and two drubbings of overmatched foes that required no heroics. It is a solidly unspectacular start that does mirrors last year’s (not included here is that Smith’s first target of his career was a drop. Perhaps he gets Game 1 jitters). 

Jeremiah Smith through 3 games: 2025 vs. 2024

Smith’s Heisman odds are holding steady despite not lighting the world on fire — which is all the more reason to like his chances. 

Just compare Smith’s beginning with the players around him in the Heisman race. 

Frontrunner Fernando Mendoza of Indiana (+850) is coming off a five-touchdown performance in a win over a top-10 opponent. Miami quarterback Carson Beck (+1100) has wins over Notre Dame, South Florida and Florida under his belt. Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed (+1400) led a game-winning touchdown drive in the final minute at Texas A&M.

Smith hasn’t accomplished anything remotely close to the “Heisman moments” those quarterbacks unleashed over the season’s first few weeks. Yet here he is keeping their company in the Heisman race. 

All it will take is a couple glimpses of Smith’s highlight-reel potential against Washington to snap the nation’s attention back to Smith and send him surging higher up the board.

Huskies cornerback Tacario Davis, an all-Big 12 performer at Arizona last season, is on the mend from an injury that kept him out of Washington’s win at Washington State last week. He’s a long defender and potential early-round draft pick in 2026 who is vital to the Huskies’ man-heavy defensive scheme.

Davis is on a short list of players in college football who can realistically hope to contain Smith — or at least subdue him — in 1-on-1 situations. If he’s unavailable or less than 100%, it could be a long day for Washington’s secondary.

There are no easy solutions for defending an offense with Ohio State’s level of talent, especially not when your top corner is less than 100% healthy.

Because Ohio State is so deep at receiver, opponents can’t direct too much attention at Smith without creating vulnerabilities elsewhere. Blanketing him might mean leaving Carnell Tate or Brandon Inniss in 1-on-1 coverage (Tate had an exquisite touchdown vs. Texas and tends to benefit from extra defensive attention on Smith). 

“They run a lot of man,” Smith said this week, “so we’ve just got to be prepared to win our one-on-ones.”

Sounds like an assignment that is right up Smith’s alley.