ESPN's Heather Dinich predicts Jeremiah Smith will win Heisman Trophy

ESPN’s Heather Dinich made her Heisman Trophy prediction during an appearance on Get Up on Wednesday. She rocking with Ohio State star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith to rise above the competition.

“I’m picking Jeremiah Smith to win the award,” Dinich stated. “He’s only 19-years-old. 17.3 yards per catch, 15 touchdowns. When you look at his numbers in the College Football Playoff, 45 yards for one catch, 43 yards for another. I mean, he’s a big time playmaker. The award goes to the best player, not the best quarterback.”

Smith has earned the hype that he’s receiving from Dinich and others. In his debut campaign last season, he broke the FBS freshman receiving record, tallying 1,315 receiving yards. In total, he hauled in 76 catches for 15 touchdowns. He also notched one rushing score.

Additionally, Smith didn’t shrivel away under the bright lights, as Dinich alluded to. In Ohio State’s win over Notre Dame in the national championship, Smith racked up five catches for 88 yards and a TD.

Moreover, Smith had his best performance of the season in Ohio State’s vengeful victory over Oregon in the College Football Playoff. In the triumph, Smith erupted for seven catches, 187 yards and two touchdowns.

For his efforts in the 2024 campaign, Smith was named the Big Ten Receiver of the Year and a First-Team All-American. Other analysts like Joel Klatt believes Smith could play in the NFL today, but he’ll have to play at least another two years at the collegiate level before entering his name into the draft.

Moreover, Klatt called Smith the best wide receiver since he began covering college football. He started covering the sport in 2007, witnessing stars such as DeVonta Smith and Michael Crabtree shred opposing defenses. He believes Smith is better than them all.

All in all, oddsmakers expect Smith’s dominance to continue in 2025. According to BetMGM, Smith has the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy. That would make Dinich look like a very keen analyst.

If Jeremiah Smith is already outshining his competition with only one year under his belt, there’s no telling what the future holds for the star wideout. He’ll make his sophomore debut on Aug. 30, when Ohio State squares off against Texas at noon ET. We’ll see if he lives up to the hype in 2025.

— On3’s Grant Grubbs contributed to this article.