Week 2 of the college football season brings us a marquee matchup to Austin. The Texas Longhorns will host the Ohio State Buckeyes, and Steve Sarkisian will need to use every weapon at his disposal to slow down Jeremiah Smith, whom the head coach considers the best player in the country.
“I think, one, he garners your attention, and he deserves our attention,” coach Sark, per Chase Brown of Eleven Warriors. “He’s arguably the best player in college football. The challenge is, with him, it’s the size, speed, catch radius. He’s a big, physical guy who can cover a lot of ground in a short amount of time. It doesn’t always look like it, but it almost feels like it. You can feel his presence on the field.”
Smith is one of the top prospects for the upcoming NFL Draft, thanks to his physical attributes and exceptional talent, which stand out among the receivers in this class. Sarkisian even went as far as comparing him to established stars such as Julio Jones and A.J. Brown.
“When you just talk about body structure, this guy looks like Julio Jones, this guy looks like AJ Brown physically,” the head coach added. “He can cover ground and then, because he’s so strong, 50-50 catches are difficult with him. You have to have a plan.”
Head coach Steve Sarkisian of the Texas Longhorns reacts in the first half against the Texas State Bobcats.
How does Sarkisian plan to stop Smith?
Sarkisian made it clear that stopping Smith requires a solid game plan. Names such as Bo Mascoe and Kade Phillips, along with Jelani McDonald and Xavier Filsaime, could be the players tasked with executing it, but they will have to be precise.
“I think like anything when you have a plan against somebody like him, you can’t just throw all fastballs,” Sarkisian said. “As good as a fastball as you have, if that’s all you got, sooner or later you’re gonna hit it.”
Julian Sayin #10 and Jeremiah Smith #4 of the Ohio State Buckeyes.
An early championship clash
The Longhorns are set to host Ohio State on Saturday, September 12, 2026, under the lights at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin. Kickoff is set for 7:30 PM ET, and with a sellout crowd of over 100,000 fans expected, the energy in Austin is going to be absolutely off the charts.
Smith’s projection for the upcoming Draft
Jeremiah Smith is projected as an early first-round selection in the 2027 NFL Draft, with most evaluators placing him as a top-two overall prospect. Scouts consider him a rare talent at wide receiver due to his size, route-running precision, and physical dominance at the catch point. Unless a quarterback-needy team holds the top pick, he is widely expected to be the first non-quarterback off the board.
