Analyst Ranks Jeremiah Smith No. 1 in 2026 Top 10 as QBs Fill 4 Spots
Updated
Updated · Forbes · Aug 20
Analyst Ranks Jeremiah Smith No. 1 in 2026 Top 10 as QBs Fill 4 Spots
3 articles · Updated · Forbes · Aug 20
Summary
Jeremiah Smith topped an analyst’s 2026 preseason top-10 list of power-conference players after posting 87 catches, 95.6 receiving yards per game and 12 touchdowns for Ohio State last season.
Quarterbacks dominated the ranking, taking four spots: Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss at No. 2, Oregon’s Dante Moore at No. 5, Texas’ Arch Manning at No. 9 and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin at No. 10.
Ole Miss was the only program with two players in the top eight, pairing Chambliss — 3,937 passing yards and just three interceptions — with running back Kewan Lacy, who ran for 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Defense was sparsely represented, with Notre Dame cornerback Leonard Moore at No. 4 and Texas edge Colin Simmons at No. 6 after an SEC-leading 12 sacks.
The list arrives as Week 0 nears and frames early Heisman and playoff storylines, including Ohio State’s Smith-Sayin tandem and Texas quarterback Manning entering a marquee Sept. 12 test against the Buckeyes.