ESPN Names Best College Football Wide Receiver Ahead of 2026 Season

The verdict came back in record time with no deliberation necessary.

When ESPN polled more than 20 front office staffers across college football, asking general managers, personnel directors and scouting directors to name the sport's top returning receivers, the responses splintered everywhere on the list except at the very top.

Ohio State junior Jeremiah Smith collected the unanimous No. 1 ranking, and the way evaluators talked about him suggested the question was settled long before it was ever asked.

Why Jeremiah Smith ranks No. 1

Smith, who also ranks No. 1 in my list of college football's top receivers, has piled up more receiving yards and touchdowns than any other returning FBS pass catcher since the start of 2024, and he has already earned first-team All-American honors in both of his college seasons.

What separates him is the size and speed that scouts keep circling back to. At 6-foot-3 and 223 pounds, he moves like a player half his size.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith — Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) scores a touchdown during the Ohio State football spring game. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"Seeing him on the sideline, it's unbelievable," one general manager told ESPN. "I couldn't believe his physical makeup, his body, just how athletic he is. It was nuts."

The two-time Big Ten Receiver of the Year saved his loudest games for the brightest stages last fall, posting 144 yards against Indiana in the Big Ten title game and 157 yards and a score against Miami in the College Football Playoff.

One personnel director who game-planned against him predicted Smith would be the first non-quarterback selected in next year's NFL draft.

Smith, Ohio State's 2026 outlook

With Carnell Tate gone to the NFL and the receiver room rebuilt around transfers Devin McCuin and Kyle Parker, plus freshman Chris Henry Jr., Smith is the clear constant the passing offense leans on.

Quarterback Julian Sayin returns for a second season throwing his way, and the record book is within reach. Smith needs 43 catches to pass Emeka Egbuka for the program reception mark and nine touchdowns to clear Chris Olave's standard.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin — Quarterback Julian Sayin (10) throws during the Ohio State football spring game at Ohio Stadium. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is also a grudge folded into the schedule. Indiana handed the Buckeyes their Big Ten Championship loss last December, and the upcoming road trip to Bloomington has been circled on calendars since the slate dropped.

Smith has not hidden his feelings about that one. His production, his physical profile and a chip on his shoulder all point toward a junior season that Ohio State fans expect to be the best of his collegiate career.

The Buckeyes start 2026 against Ball State on Sat., Sept. 5 at 12:30 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.

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