Josh Pate Names Best College Football Player Without Hesitation

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) watches during the Ohio State football spring game. | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Every year in college football stars come out of nowhere to put their stamp on the sport.

That was the case for Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in 2024. As a true freshman, he finished with 76 catches, for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. He helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship that year.

Jeremiah Smith Keeps Raising the Bar

In 2025, he had another great season. He had 87 catches, for 1,243 yards and 12 scores, but the Buckeyes were knocked out in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals. The things that Smith has done in his first two years in Columbus have been nothing short of amazing.

Ohio State is one of the premier wide receiver programs in the country with guys like Cris Carter, Ted Ginn Jr., Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr., Garrett Wilson, Emeka Egbuka and Chris Olave. Yet, Smith might be the best of them all.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) shakes off Indiana Hoosiers defensive back D'Angelo Ponds (5). | Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Josh Pate Names Smith the Best Player in College Football

However, Smith isn't just the best wide receiver in college football. According to Josh Pate on "Josh Pate's College Football Show," he's without question the best player in the sport as well.

"I'm excited to watch Jeremiah Smith, because I think he's the best player in college football," Pate said. "This year, I think Jeremiah Smith will go off... He is the biggest potential game wrecker any given play in the sport."

The only argument someone could make against Smith is plays a position that is so reliant on everyone else. He needs good quarterback play and also good offensive line play to give him time to get open. However, after that, the arguments against Smith stop.

Nobody Changes a Game Like Smith

There isn't a single player who impacts a game and has more of an influence on what other teams do than Smith. There have been plenty of great college football wide receivers, but arguably no one has impacted the sport the way Smith has or has done it as a freshman as he did in 2024.

Alabama Crimson Tide's DeVonta Smith won the Heisman Trophy in 2020, making him the first receiver to win the Heisman since Desmond Howard in 1991. Travis Hunter won it in 2024, but that was due to his ability to be an elite wide receiver and cornerback.

Chasing All-Time Great Status

Smith might not match the numbers that DeVonta put up, as he had 117 catches, for 1,856 yards and 22 touchdowns, but his impact is just as good, if not better. That's why it's not a stretch to say he's the best player in college football. There's an argument to be made that he was the best last year as well.

He's a truly special player, that Ohio State is lucky to have.