Fox Says Jeremiah Smith Now the Heisman Favorite

Fox News and FOX Sports report Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith jumped to the top of the Heisman oddsboard after a 217-yard, four-touchdown game against Illinois.

Ohio State beat Illinois 42-19 on Saturday, September 26, 2026, and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was the story. Per the FOX Sports odds article, Smith finished with 217 receiving yards and four touchdown catches, hauling in his third score before halftime and his fourth early in the fourth quarter. He also beat Illinois defensive back Mac Resetich on a 72-yard touchdown and won two jump-ball fades in the red zone, according to FOX Sports. The Buckeyes improved to 3-1, which Yahoo Sports also reports.

A wide receiver leading the Heisman race is rare. FOX Sports notes Smith is trying to become the first pass-catcher to win the award since DeVonta Smith, and that he rocketed from third at +1000 to the +320 favorite at FanDuel Sportsbook, leapfrogging Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss and Miami quarterback Darian Mensah. Fox News frames it as confirmation that he is the best wide receiver in the country. The move came on a single Saturday performance, which is exactly the kind of odds-shake the early race rarely produces.

Yahoo Sports reports Smith is the first Buckeye receiver ever to record more than 10 catches, over 200 yards, and four touchdowns in one game, finishing with 12 receptions for 217 yards. Fox News says he is only the second Ohio State receiver with 200+ yards and four touchdown catches in a game and just the fifth Buckeye with four total TDs, tying the school's single-game record. FOX Sports adds his previous career high was 187 yards in the 2024 Rose Bowl win over Oregon, and he now has 605 yards this season. Ryan Day's praise — "If there's a better player in the country, it's hard to imagine" — comes via Yahoo Sports.

The chase pack remains loaded, per FOX Sports: Trinidad Chambliss moved to +430 after throwing for 363 yards and two scores in Ole Miss's 32-24 win over No. 7 LSU, while Miami's Darian Mensah sits at +440 after a start that included completing his first 24 passes against Wake Forest. Mississippi State's Kamario Taylor (+850), CJ Carr (+1400) and Miami's Malachi Toney (+1600) round out the contenders. Fox News adds that Ohio State has now outscored opponents 101-22 in the two games since its upset loss to Texas.

A slowdown game could reshuffle the oddsboard quickly, since Smith's lead is built on highlight volume. Fox News also places the performance inside Ohio State's wider pipeline — a five-year streak of first-round wide receivers from 2022 to 2026 — a run Smith is expected to extend, according to that publisher.