Jeremiah Smith leads midseason Heisman assessments as quarterback injury adds uncertainty
ESPN and Forbes both place the Ohio State receiver at the front of the race, while his recent production and a change at quarterback leave the award unsettled.
Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith emerged as the Heisman Trophy favorite in separate midseason assessments published on 20 October, as ESPN named him its half-season pick and Forbes placed him first in its look at the race. The assessments come after every Football Bowl Subdivision team had played at least half its regular-season schedule, according to ESPN. The award remains undecided, and both accounts identify factors that could affect Smith’s position.
Why Jeremiah Smith leads the midseason Heisman race
ESPN’s Bill Connelly chose Smith for his half-season Heisman award. He cited DraftKings odds of -110, which he described as equivalent to a 52% chance of winning. Connelly also said Smith led his ongoing points race. Those figures describe ESPN’s assessment at the midpoint of the season, with games still to play.
Forbes contributor Darren Cooper separately listed Smith as the favorite at -125 in an assessment republished by Yahoo Sports. The quoted prices differ from those in ESPN’s report; they should be read as each report’s stated odds, rather than as a direct measure of how Smith’s chances changed between the two accounts.
The challengers and Smith’s quarterback situation
Cooper listed Miami quarterback Darian Mensah as the second favorite at +325. His assessment also put BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier and Oregon State receiver Jesse LeGree at +2500, and Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker at +5000. Those names show the field Cooper considered behind Smith, even as his account described the race as uncertain.
Smith’s own production could matter as much as the challengers’ performances. Connelly noted that Smith had 68 receiving yards against Indiana and said he would need more standout games to win the Heisman. Cooper reported that Smith’s starting quarterback was hurt and expected to miss time, leaving backup Luke Fahey to get him the opportunities he had received from Julian Sayin. Cooper said a sharp drop in Smith’s production could reopen the race.
For now, the two writers agree on the leader while emphasizing different pressures on his candidacy: Connelly points to the need for further standout performances, and Cooper focuses on whether Ohio State can maintain Smith’s output with a different quarterback. Their midseason rankings are snapshots of an award race that will be decided after the remaining games.
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Sources and context
- Halfway Heisman: Jeremiah Smith and other midseason awardsESPN
- Heisman Trophy Leaders At Halftime Of The College Football SeasonForbes, republished by Yahoo Sports
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.