Sayin and Smith could be one of the best quarterback-wide receiver combos in College Football in 2025.
As preseason camp begins this week, Land-Grant Holy Land is diving into its final theme every week of the off-season. This week is all about making predictions that may or may not be reasonable, in fact, some might say they are bold. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all of our ”Bold Predictions” articles here.
There are lots of factors that go into a player becoming a Heisman Trophy finalist. Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith already has some of those boxes checked, and he very well could check the other ones off during the upcoming 2025 season.
The first box to check off for being a Heisman Trophy finalist is popularity. Is the player a big name going into the upcoming season? Are they on the covers of preseason preview magazines? Are they the headline topics on sports talk shows on the radio or television? Do they play for a name-brand and blue blood like Smith playing for Ohio State?
Popularity gets players exposure, and they need that to be considered as a finalist for the most prestigious award in college football. Plus, in this day and age of sports betting and there being odds for just about anything, popularity can boost a player’s odds of winning the Heisman Trophy.
Second on the boxes to check off is the body of work. Smith, despite only playing one season of college football, already has an elite body of work going into 2025.
He was an All-American by multiple outlets last season, and he saved his best performances for when the games mattered most in the College Football Playoff, with five touchdowns, 381 receiving yards and 19 receptions in four games. His 57-yard catch on third-and-11 to seal the National Championship will long live in Buckeyes lore.
That’s two boxes Smith has checked off going into this season. Everybody knows who he is, and he has the numbers and performances to back up who he is.
During the season, a player’s performance is another box to check off. They’re not going to be a Heisman Trophy finalist if they can’t back up their performance(s) from previous season(s). Smith should be great again in 2025. So, as long as his numbers are even just slightly better in 2025, he will be a finalist for the Heisman Trophy.
Another factor is highlight reels. If a player is posting highlight-reel performances every week, that probably means his numbers are really good. That means he has a good chance of being a Heisman Trophy finalist. If Smith is making one-handed catches and breaking away for long touchdowns, there’s a good chance he’ll be a Heisman Trophy finalist.
What about Julian Sayin? His case is different, largely because he hasn’t had a lot of playing experience, and college football fans outside of Columbus may not know a lot about him.
There have been players who won the Heisman Trophy in recent seasons who weren’t well-known going into the seasons when they won the award. Joe Burrow in 2019. Jameis Winston in 2013. Robert Griffin III in 2011. Cam Newton in 2010. Those seasons from those players were unexpected, but they were prolific enough to earn them a trip to New York and, ultimately, win them the most prestigious honor in college football.
Sayin is capable of duplicating those kinds of performances in 2025. He has a lot around him that will help him have a great season. For starters, he has Jeremiah Smith. In addition, he has emerging star wide receiver Carnell Tate to throw to as well as new tight end Max Klare.
Not to mention, Brian Hartline is his offensive coordinator. Hartline was previously the Buckeyes wide receivers coach, which is the strength of this Buckeyes offense. Sayin will have plenty of great wide receivers to throw to this season.
Given those wide receivers and the offensive infrastructure at Ohio State, Sayin could be in for a huge season statistically.
There are a lot of great quarterbacks in College Football this season: Drew Allar (Penn State), Cade Klubnik (Clemson), and Carson Beck (Miami (FL)) to name a few. There is some tough competition to be a Heisman Trophy finalist, especially at the quarterback position, but Sayin is in a unique position given the talent that surrounds him on the Buckeyes.
This is a bold prediction to think that both Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin will be Heisman Trophy finalists this season. Smith definitely has a realistic shot, and it’s fair to say he probably will be. Sayin is bold because of his lack of playing experience, but a prolific season will earn him a ticket to New York in mid-December.
Again, Sayin is in a great position with the talent that surrounds him. If everything goes right for him, including having a prolific season, Sayin will be joining Smith as a finalist for the Heisman Trophy this season.