Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith Becomes Heisman Betting Favorite After Four-TD Game

OriginalGlobal Sportscast deskSep 26, 2026 · 23:34 UTC

The short version

Jeremiah Smith caught 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns vs. Illinois, all career highs.
The four touchdowns tied an Ohio State single-game record.
Smith is now the FanDuel Heisman favorite at +250, ahead of Darian Mensah and Trinidad Chambliss (both +430).
Smith had 150 receiving yards in a half for the second time this season.
Ryan Day called Smith hard to top as the best player in the country.

Jeremiah Smith posted career highs of 12 catches, 217 yards and four touchdowns against Illinois and now leads the Heisman Trophy odds at FanDuel.

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith turned in the best statistical game of his career on Saturday against Illinois, and oddsmakers have responded. According to FanDuel, Smith is now the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, listed at +250.

Smith caught 12 passes for 217 yards and four touchdowns in the Buckeyes' game against the Fighting Illini at Ohio Stadium in Columbus. Each of those totals represented a career high, and his four touchdown receptions tied an Ohio State single-game record.

The sophomore receiver did most of his damage before halftime, hauling in eight passes for 150 yards and three touchdowns in the first two quarters. Illinois frequently matched him in man-to-man coverage, and Smith repeatedly made the Illini pay for it.

Smith arrived at Ohio State with uncommon expectations, rated as one of the top wide receiver prospects in high school history. He showed flashes of stardom as early as his true freshman season and has delivered big performances throughout his young career.

His fast start to the 2026 season has been a running theme. In the season opener against Ball State, Smith recorded eight catches for 151 yards and two touchdowns in one half, making the Illinois game the second time in four games this season that he has reached 150 receiving yards in a half.

Smith's big day moved him past two quarterbacks atop the Heisman board. Ole Miss's Trinidad Chambliss and Miami's Darian Mensah, who had been ahead of him, are now both listed at +430, behind Smith's +250. He had been near the top of the odds all season before officially taking over the favorite's spot after Saturday's performance.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day praised his receiver after the game. "If there's a better player in the country, it's hard to imagine," Day said, adding that he believes Smith has elevated his game to another level this season.

The Heisman Trophy is officially awarded to the best player in college football regardless of position, but in practice it has been dominated by quarterbacks, with running backs the next most common winners. A wide receiver sitting atop the odds board, as Smith now does, runs against that historical trend.