For decades, the Heisman Trophy has mostly belonged to quarterbacks, and this season looks no different, with Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin leading the charge. But Urban Meyer, the former Ohio State coach, isn’t following the crowd. His pick? A wide receiver, he believes, has outshone everyone.
Urban Meyer Favors Elite WR Over Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin in Heisman Race
In “The Triple Option” podcast, Meyer joined co-hosts Mark Ingram and Rob Stone to discuss this season’s potential Heisman Trophy contenders. Meyer chose Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith over Mendoza and Sayin.
“Mine in order are the best football players in the country, and I would probably challenge anybody to the best player in America is Jeremiah Smith,” Meyer said. “He’d be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft probably after his freshman year, certainly after his sophomore year, and it will be next year.”
The last wide receiver to win the Heisman Trophy was Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020, when he led the nation with 117 catches for 1,856 yards and 23 touchdowns.
Meanwhile, Smith has totaled 65 receptions for 862 yards and 10 touchdowns, along with two carries for 20 yards and another score. Ingram and Stone pointed out that those numbers don’t quite reflect a typical Heisman front-runner, but Meyer firmly stood by his pick.
“He has 12 catches less than someone did it at a small school,” Meyer said. “They threw it 100 times. Who gives a sh*t. The best player in America is Jeremiah Smith.”
Besides Smith, Sayin and Mendoza, other notable players in the Heisman race this year are Alabama Crimson Tide’s Ty Simpson, Texas A&M Aggies’ Marcel Reed and Vanderbilt Commodores’ Diego Pavia, Oregon Ducks’ Dante Moore, Notre Dame Fighting Irish’s Jeremiyah Love, Texas Tech Red Raiders’ David Bailey and Ole Miss Rebels QB Trinidad Chambliss.
According to The Athletic’s straw poll, Mendoza earned 21 of 26 first-place votes, with Sayin firmly in second and Simpson in third.
However, Smith can be strong in the conversation as he is putting up big numbers at the right time, having six catches for 123 yards and two touchdowns in the 38-14 win against the Penn State Nittany Lions on Nov. 1. He also had 10 catches for 137 yards and a score in the 34-10 win over the Purdue Boilermakers last week.
If Smith maintains his stellar play against Michigan and in the Big Ten Championship, he can earn significant Heisman consideration. His team is currently No. 1 in the PFSN College Football Playoff Rankings.
