Jeremiah Smith, without a doubt the best player in college football, just got named a captain for the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes going into the 2026 season. This wasn’t a coach’s pick alone; Smith was one of seven guys selected by his own teammates, and the news dropped in an emotional video that shows exactly what it means to him, and what it should mean to every college football fan out there. Coach Cortez Hankton and Smith called his dad to break the news, and you could feel the pride jumping off the screen.
The Call That Proved Everything
You know when a player is *truly* respected by their peers, and this is it. Hankton, the wide receivers coach, summed it up perfectly in that video: “I’m going to tell you how much it means to him. This young dude over here had tears of joy afterwards. Just when he was named and when he found out how much he means to his teammates. He walks around every day with a sense of humility and grace and does his job at a high level. But to be named the captain, it means a lot to him. I want you to know that. We’re all proud of him.” Tears of joy! That’s not just a good player; that’s a leader who genuinely cares about his squad. He’s got that humility and grace Hankton talked about, doing his job at an absurdly high level every single day. Being named a captain alongside guys like Brandon Inniss, Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Jaylen McClain, Payton Pierce, Julian Sayin, and Austin Siereveld shows the belief the locker room has in him.
Unquestionably Elite
Let’s be real, this isn’t some surprise pick. The guy is a machine. B/R’s NFL Scouting Department already ranked Smith as the undisputed No. 1 player on their early big board for a reason. We’re talking a 9.8 score, man, which created a massive gap between him and the 9.0 score for the second-ranked player, Leonard Moore. Seriously, the ninth-ranked player in the country was closer to Moore than Moore was to Smith. That’s how dominant Smith is. What has he done in just two years at Ohio State? How about winning a national championship in his freshman year? Then he turned around and became a consensus All-American in his second season. He’s racked up more than 1,200 receiving yards in *each* of those two seasons and hauled in 27 career touchdown catches. When the lights are brightest, Smith shows up: 290 combined yards and four touchdowns in College Football Playoff wins against Tennessee and Oregon, a touchdown grab in the national championship victory over Notre Dame, and even a touchdown in both of his matchups against archrival Michigan.
This isn’t just about stats; it’s about being *the guy* when it matters most. He’s already a potential Heisman contender for 2026. Now that he’s officially a captain, leading by example and wearing that C on his chest, you just know he’s going to hit another gear. Expect him to put on a show all season long.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Bleacher Report.
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