Jeremiah Smith put his name alone at the top of Ohio State's receiving record book on Saturday, reaching the mark with a 23-yard catch in the first quarter against Kent State. The play gave Ohio State a new all-time leader in career receiving yards and pushed Smith past Michael Jenkins' previous school standard of 2,898 yards.
The record matters now because Smith entered the game already drawing Heisman Trophy attention, with FanDuel Sportsbook listing him at +750. Darian Mensah was also at +750, which left Smith tied for that spot rather than separated from the field, but the Ohio State receiver kept adding another line to a resume that has grown fast from the start.
Smith's rise has been built on production, not projection. In 2024, he caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns and helped Ohio State capture a national championship. Last year, he led the Big Ten with 87 receptions and 1,243 yards and scored 12 touchdowns. Across 2024 and 2025, his 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdown grabs were the most by any Big Ten receiver in their first two college seasons.
That is why the record does not feel like a milestone reached by a player easing into a big year. Smith had not shown any signs of slowing down to open the 2026 season, and the early catch against Kent State only reinforced the idea that Ohio State has its most dangerous receiver in command of the ball, the pace and the record chase at the same time.
What happens next is less about whether Smith will add to the total than how far he can push it. The school record is now his, but the bigger story for Ohio State Buckeyes fans is that he is still early in the 2026 season and still in position to keep moving the number while staying in the Heisman Trophy conversation.
