Ohio State took care of business Saturday, defeating the Penn State Nittany Lions 38-14 to improve to 8-0 in the 2025 season. The Buckeyes delivered plenty of highlight-worthy moments, but one of the best came from superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who hauled in a spectacular one-handed touchdown grab that sent social media into a frenzy.
Fans immediately took to social media to react, with NBA legend LeBron James among those praising Smith’s incredible play.
What Did LeBron James and Others Say About Jeremiah Smith’s One-Handed Grab?
In the fourth quarter of Ohio State’s matchup with Penn State, quarterback Julian Sayin fired a pass over the middle to Smith. The receiver went up and high-pointed the ball, making an unbelievable one-handed catch in traffic for a touchdown.
Jeremiah Smith can’t be stopped 🤯@OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/4Hp0WLY2HX
— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 1, 2025
Smith’s highlight-reel grab quickly caught the attention of many, including James. The future NBA Hall of Famer took to X to praise the Buckeye star, writing, “MAN WHAT JEREMIAH SMITH!!!!!!!!! INSANE TALENT.”
MAN WHAT JEREMIAH SMITH!!!!!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣!! INSANE TALENT.
— LeBron James (@KingJames) November 1, 2025
However, James wasn’t the only one to react to the amazing snag. The “Bussin’ With The Boys” podcast also chimed in on X, posting, “Jeremiah Smith is HIM.”
Additionally, the “Sleeper CFB” social media page was in awe of the grab, posting, “This is unreal from Jeremiah Smith.” College football analyst Bruce Feldman took the praise even further, declaring Smith the best player in the nation. “Best player in college football,” Feldman wrote.
Best player in college football. https://t.co/ld2vrdBVGi
— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) November 1, 2025
Meanwhile, The Athletic’s James Palmer focused more on FOX play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson’s call of the catch than the grab itself, saying, “Jeremiah Smith almost killed Gus Johnson.”
The flood of reactions is understandable. Not only was it an incredible play, but moments like that have become routine for Smith. From the moment he arrived on campus in Columbus, he has been a special talent. In fact, he was arguably the best player on Ohio State’s 2024 national championship team as a true freshman.
This season, Smith is once again performing at an elite level. He ranks as the eighth-best receiver in the country, according to PFSN’s CFB WRi metric, while helping Ohio State’s offense rank sixth nationally in PFSN’s CFB OFFi metric. That incredible touchdown was one of two he recorded on the day, helping the Buckeyes capture their eighth straight win to start the season. If Smith continues making plays like that, Ohio State will undoubtedly be in a strong position to compete for back-to-back national titles.
While the star receiver likely knows just how talented he is, it must still be an incredible feeling to see an icon like James and so many others praising him online.
