Heather Dinich claims Jeremiah Smith could be the best player in Ohio State vs. Texas over Arch Manning

Excitement is quickly growing for the start of the 2025 college football season. That opening week is going to be highlighted by a College Football Playoff rematch between the Ohio State Buckeyes and Texas Longhorns. There, stars like quarterback Arch Manning and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith are hoping to put on a show.

With that game just a few weeks away, excitement is growing to watch Manning start for Texas. However, ESPN reporter Heather Dinich argued on Get Up that it’s Smith on the Buckeyes’ sideline who is the best player in the game.

“Well, when in doubt, go with the home team,” Heather Dinich said. “But, Harry mentioned Jeremiah Smith. He might not just be the best wide receiver, he might be the best player in the country. He should absolutely be in the Heisman conversation, but 1,315 yards, 15 touchdowns last year. That’s almost 100 yards and a touchdown per game. He’s going to be the best player on the field.”

Arch Manning, of course, went to Texas as a five-star recruit and the top overall recruit in the Class of 2023. Since then, the anticipation has grown for when head coach Steve Sarkisian would turn the offense over to him. Outside of playing in relief of Quinn Ewers a few times, he’s mostly been taking his time to develop. In that playing time that he has received, Manning has completed 67.8 percent of his passes for 939 yards and nine touchdowns to two interceptions. He has also rushed for 108 yards and four touchdowns.

For his part, Smith also came to Ohio State as a highly-touted recruit. A five-star recruit and the top-ranked recruit overall in the Class of 2024, he’d hit the ground running as a freshman. Quickly, Smith became the best receiver in the country and, as Dinich argued, potentially the best player in the country. He’d finish with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards, or 17.3 yards per reception, and 15 touchdowns. Along the way, he earned All-American honors.

Neither team will be exactly the same as last season. Ohio State, notably, is in the middle of a quarterback battle. Whoever the next quarterback is, being able to rely on Jeremiah Smith is going to be a massive boost. It’s also a boost that Dinich believes will lift the Buckeyes to a Week 1 win at home over the Longhorns.

“While I have questions about new coordinators at Ohio State,” Dinich said. “I think they get the job done at home.”

Jordan Rodgers explains why he’s suggesting fans pump the brakes on Arch Manning hype

The hype around Arch Manning is rapidly growing. Some analysts, like Paul Finebaum, have gone as far as to compare him to Tim Tebow. Despite that, another analyst, Jordan Rodgers, wants fans to pump the brakes.

“I think the hype around Arch really revolves around the three games we saw him against UTSA, Louisiana-Monroe and Mississippi State. Three bad defenses. He had clean pockets and he absolutely shredded them. He did look amazing; he did look like a future Heisman Trophy winner. I think he’s got to do a little bit better of a job this year operating under pressure. Now, that comes with any quarterback as they gain experience and as they get older. When we saw him last year against Georgia, he panicked a little bit under pressure. Rightfully so. That’s the only reason I say pump the brakes a little bit. He’s still a guy that needs to develop, get experience,” Rodgers said.

“We’re going to see Week 1 if he’s built for the task. It’s two things, and two things that were actually Quinn Ewers‘ weaknesses last year. The first is, he’s a great deep-ball thrower. He’s got incredible feel for throwing the deep-ball, whether it’s post routes down the middle of the field, or verticals down the sideline. He puts a ton of air on the ball, and as a receiver, you want to have time to adjust, but as a quarterback, when you put a lot of air on it, it’s tough to be accurate. He’s got a knack for being really accurate, hitting receivers in stride downfield consistently, something Ewers struggled with. The other thing is the legs, right? That’s not a Manning we’re used to seeing. He can run a 4.5 40, run away from defenders, create things when the pocket breaks down. That’s two things that will bode well for his development this year as the Texas starting quarterback.”