American Eagle Outfitters, Red Bull, Battle Sports, Adidas, Chipotle, and Lululemon, among several others. Well, these aren’t just brands in your shopping spree, as one might imagine, they are the companies backing Jeremiah Smith with lucrative NIL deals. And guess what, the guy isn’t stopping here. Why? It’s not every day a true freshman receives 1,315 yards and leads their team to the national title. But that isn’t the only reason why Smith has been the most sought-after player by brands in college football. The WR has also earned a 99 rating in the EA Sports’ CFB’s 2026 edition video game and graces the game’s cover. So, of course, the fandom will be unmatched. But if you ask his father? He’s taking it all with a “grain of salt.”
Jeremiah Smith, 19, is a sensation now and is touted to do big things, but 12 years ago, the story was very different. Then, a 7-year-old with a footballing dream, Jeremiah, was crying inconsolably after being cut from his youth football team, the Miami Gardens Vikings. His father, Chris Smith, ran up to him and promised him to fulfill that dream, and ever since then, the 7-year-old future prodigy hasn’t looked back. “We’re gonna work a little harder, and you ain’t gonna have to worry about that again,” said Chris Smith to his son and took him under his wing. Even now, when Jeremiah Smith is under Ryan Day and Brian Hartline, his father remains deeply involved, providing the WR the required guidance.
Smith’s father agrees that the feat his son achieved is remarkable and agrees that Jeremiah did more than he expected of the prodigy. In a conversation with the New York Times, Chris Smith said, “He did exceed expectations I had.” He added, “My expectations were just going to school, getting in when he can, earning his steps as a freshman. I didn’t know he was going to take over.” Surely, catching 76 passes over 16 games for 15 touchdowns and winning the MVP at the Rose Bowl is no small feat. But for Chris Smith, Jeremiah Smith’s work doesn’t end here. He wants further glory, and right now? The NIL deals and all the media hype aren’t the end goal that Chris Smith wants with his son.
“It’s surreal, but we take it with a grain of salt. There’s more football to play. I always tell him never to get big-headed. Just keep working. You can be up top one day and down the next. Stay even keel,” said Chris Smith. Of course, college football is the stepping stone for most players, and the greater glory lies in the NFL. But the type of unmatched hype and fame that Jeremiah has gained, even some of the most talented players don’t have in their careers. The young lad is already giving some NFL players their run for the money with his fame.
Recently, several current and former NFL players like Shedeur Sanders, Geno Smith, Robert Griffin III, and Cam Newton attended the OT7 playoffs at St. Thomas Aquinas High. But guess who caught the most attention? Jeremiah Smith, as he entered his black rented Lamborghini, fans crowded around him to take selfies. Smith calls all of this a “blessing” and the experience to be “surreal,” but declared that he isn’t “finished” and there’s more to come.
Moreover, the guy also has vowed not to lose against Michigan ever again and said that he just “hates” them. “I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.” So, it seems Ryan Day will finally get his second OSU win against Michigan in 2025. That said, there’s another CFB wide receiver who’s already closing in with Jeremiah Smith.
Ryan Williams dethroning Jeremiah Smith gradually?
Apart from Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Williams, another freshman wide receiver of Alabama, was featured on the EA Sports’ 2026 video game. It wasn’t a casual decision by the company, but Williams also exceeded all expectations, producing 800+ receiving yards with a new head coach, Kalen DeBoer. So, his inclusion was there to incorporate both Bama’s legacy and his talent into the video game’s hype. Yet, the hype isn’t limited to video games, and analysts are also joining in Ryan Williams’ bogey.
Recently, Greg McElroy, the former Bama QB, came out with his wide receiver rankings and termed Ryan Williams the ‘cheat code’ in the 2025 season. “He arrived last year in June. He didn’t have the benefit of going through that 15 padded practices in spring, didn’t have the benefit of going through an offseason program in which he’s training like a college athlete….he had to accelerate rapidly to get him up to game speed. To get him ready to be a difference-maker for the Tide. And he was able to do that in about 2 or 3 months.”
Of course, toppling Jeremiah Smith will be a big ask, but the type of talent Ryan Williams has? It will not be a herculean challenge. Remember his Georgia touchdown? It already comes with a discretionary ‘don’t try at home’ message. And with the help of Ryan Grubb, the guy could surely present a mounting challenge.
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