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ESPN's Mike Greenberg names the 'best player in America' right now

Joe Cox|
ESPN personality Mike Greenberg revealed his best college football player in America on social media.
ESPN personality Mike Greenberg revealed his best college football player in America on social media. | Jerry Lai-Imagn Images

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Ohio State Buckeyes

The end of college football season leads to some crazy hot takes, but on social media, ESPN personality Mike Greenberg revealed the player he considered the best player in America. There may not be much debate, even though Greenberg's pick is rarely if ever mentioned among the Heisman Trophy candidates and he won't be chosen in the 2026 NFL Draft. Greenberg didn't directly name the player, but it's clear he was talking about sophomore Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith as the best player in the nation.

Greenberg's take

The controversial play

Greenberg was clearly talking about Jeremiah Smith's controversial 35 yard touchdown grab early in the second quarter of Ohio State's win over Michigan. Smith's big grab gave the Buckeyes a lead they would not relinquish. But it didn't come without controversy.

The call on the field was a touchdown, but social media critics noted that Smith both lost control of the football and appeared to step out of bounds. The call should have been a touchback for Michigan if Smith fumbled the ball in the field of play and it went out of bounds in the end zone-- as many Michigan backers apparently felt that it did.

Smith's credentials

Smith entered Saturday's game with 69 receptions for 902 yards and 10 touchdowns on the season. He has a way still to go to match his 2024 totals of 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. The outstanding wide receiver won't be eligible for the 2026 NFL Draft, but is widely considered the safe early favorite to be the top pick in the 2027 Draft.

Smith also looks safe to completely re-write the Ohio State receiving record book. The OSU career bests for catches (205 by Emeka Egbuka), yardage (2,898 by Michael Jenkins) and touchdowns (35 by Chris Olave) are all solidly within reach.

Smith hasn't drawn any real notice as a Heisman candidate, with Ohio State QB Julian Sayin instead being one of the favorites. It's not hard to imagine him being thoroughly in the mix for that award in 2027.

Ohio State will now face Indiana in the Big Ten title game next week, with a College Football Playoff spot certainly set aside for both teams in the game. Greenberg's take on the touchdown call might be controversial, but he may find something near consensus in naming the sport's top player.

Smith
Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith drew Mike Greenberg's praise as the best college football player in America. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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Joe Cox
JOE COX

Joe is a journalist and writer who covers college and professional sports. He has written or co-written over a dozen sports books, including several regional best sellers. His last book, A Fine Team Man, is about Jackie Robinson and the lives he changed. Joe has been a guest on MLB Network, the Paul Finebaum show and numerous other television and radio shows. He has been inside MLB dugouts, covered bowl games and conference tournaments with Saturday Down South and still loves telling the stories of sports past and present.

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