College Football

Joel Klatt Says Jeremiah Smith Is 'Entering The Chat' As Greatest Buckeye Ever

Updated Oct. 5, 2026 9:33 a.m. ET

When you rewrite Ohio State's record book before you turn 21, fans can start etching your name amongst the greats. During Ohio State's win over No. 14 Iowa, Jeremiah Smith gave them every reason to.

The Buckeyes' junior wide receiver caught 11 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns in No. 5 Ohio State's 31-14 win at Iowa, becoming the program's all-time leader in both receptions and touchdown catches.

His 57-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter was the 36th of his career, passing Chris Olave, and he celebrated with a Heisman pose. Along the way, he also passed Emeka Egbuka for the most catches in school history and became the first Buckeye with back-to-back 200-yard receiving games, following up a 217-yard performance against Illinois.

On the latest edition of "The Joel Klatt Show," FOX Sports' Joel Klatt brought up the question: Is Smith the greatest Buckeye of all time?

"I've seen this question posed out there on social media and the like: Is Jeremiah the best Buckeye ever? Is he starting to get into that territory?" Klatt said. "And you know what? I think he might be entering the chat."

Klatt's case starts with the single-season greats. He argued Smith has already passed many Buckeyes who built their legacies on one standout year, a group that includes Ezekiel Elliott, who led Ohio State to a championship, Chase Young and his 16.5 sacks and Eddie George and his 24 touchdowns.

"I think if you look at his entire body of work, he is wide receiver one at wide receiver U, and all of them would say it," Klatt said. Klatt said the group of former Ohio State standouts includes Cris Carter, Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr.

Klatt added that Egbuka, who stayed at Ohio State for an extra season in part to play alongside Smith, "said it to my face."

Klatt stopped short of putting Smith at the very top. The two names he believes belong in that conversation are Archie Griffin, the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner in college football history, and Orlando Pace, the offensive tackle who won the Lombardi Award twice and finished fourth in the 1996 Heisman voting.

Buckeyes legend Orlando Pace won the Lombardi Award twice and finished fourth in the 1996 Heisman voting. (Photo by Sporting News via Getty Images via Getty Images)

"I know that sounds crazy, but is he starting to get there? And here's the deal: I can't give him the nod over those two guys, and specifically Orlando Pace," Klatt said.

But Klatt said Smith has a clear path to changing that. Smith was a freshman on Ohio State's 2024 national championship team, and he is trying to become the first wide receiver to win the Heisman since Alabama's DeVonta Smith in 2020.

"If this guy wins the Biletnikoff and wins the Heisman Trophy, he's already got a national championship under his belt," Klatt said. "I believe that then it becomes a question of is Jeremiah Smith or Orlando Pace the greatest Buckeye in history?"

For now, Klatt believes those two stand apart.

"If you're just talking about singular talents and dominant players at their position in this sport, I think it's Jeremiah Smith and Orlando Pace as the greatest Buckeyes ever."