Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith wasted no time reminding the country why he’s considered the best wide receiver prospect in college football. In the Buckeyes’ 56-3 season-opening blowout of Ball State, Smith caught eight passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns — all of it coming in the first half before he was pulled with the game well in hand.
His first score came on a spectacular 48-yard grab, where Smith pinned the ball against his helmet with one hand before securing it on his way into the end zone. His second touchdown was a more modest three-yard score capped off with a two-foot toe-tap in the back of the end zone, after which Smith struck the Heisman pose — a nod to the growing individual-award buzz building around him just one game into the season.
Smith’s draft stock has remained rock-solid since a breakout freshman campaign in which he hauled in 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. Through his first two collegiate seasons, he’s now totaled 163 catches for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns. NFL Draft analyst Jordan Reid has Smith projected as high as the No. 4 overall pick in the 2027 NFL Draft — the first non-quarterback off the board behind Dante Moore, Arch Manning, and CJ Carr. Fellow analyst Mike Renner agrees, suggesting Smith could realistically go in the top three picks and noting he likely would have been WR1 in each of the past two draft classes had he been draft-eligible.
Ryan Wingo Steals the Spotlight in Texas’ Blowout Win
While plenty of preseason hype went to Auburn transfer Cam Coleman, it was junior receiver Ryan Wingo who emerged as Texas’ top offensive weapon in the team’s 59-7 demolition of Texas State. Wingo led all Longhorns pass-catchers with seven receptions for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian made a point of crediting Wingo after the game, noting that people tend to forget he was a second-team All-SEC receiver a season ago, and that his performance served as a reminder of just how good he can be — all without taking anything away from Coleman’s own talent.
Wingo’s improved reliability as a pass-catcher has been no accident. He’s reportedly been catching at least 500 footballs daily on a jugs machine to eliminate drops from his game, a habit that appears to be paying off — Pro Football Focus charted him with just one drop in the win over Texas State, compared to seven drops across the entirety of last season.
Dante Moore Shows Resilience in Oregon’s Narrow Escape
No. 2 Oregon had a much tougher time than expected in a 34-27 home win over Boise State, a result that could draw some tough film-room review this week. Still, quarterback Dante Moore’s performance stood out as a clear positive. Moore finished 28-of-37 passing for 378 yards and three touchdowns, including a decisive 62-yard strike to sophomore receiver Dakorien Moore in the fourth quarter that put Oregon back in front for good.
What impressed evaluators most wasn’t just the raw numbers it was how Moore responded after Oregon trailed 17-7 late in the second quarter. The Ringer’s Todd McShay specifically praised how Moore handled adversity once pressure and chaos crept into the game, calling it an encouraging sign after previously questioning how he’d respond when things got messy.
Jadan Baugh Validates His RB1 Draft Billing for Florida
ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. named Florida running back Jadan Baugh his top running back prospect in the draft class before the Gators even kicked off their season — and Baugh didn’t waste time proving the ranking right. In Florida’s 66-21 blowout win over Florida Atlantic, Baugh rushed for 160 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 carries.
Listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, Baugh profiles as a power runner, but his tape shows real elusiveness to go with his physicality, including a sharp cutback move on a 12-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.
Kamari Moulton Emerges as a Breakout Name for Iowa
Iowa senior running back Kamari Moulton delivered one of the most eye-opening statistical performances of the weekend, rushing for 183 yards and two touchdowns on just 11 carries in a 40-0 shutout win over Northern Illinois — an absurd 16.6 yards per carry average. His two scores came on runs of 50 and 37 yards.
Notably, Moulton isn’t a transfer addition — he’s a fourth-year Hawkeye who already led Iowa in rushing a season ago with 878 yards. Todd McShay singled out his efficiency as a performance that demands attention going forward, especially for an Iowa offense that has historically leaned conservative.
What to Expect When Ohio State Faces Texas in Week 2
All of this sets the stage for the marquee matchup of the young season: No. 1 Ohio State traveling to Austin to face No. 5 Texas in a Week 2 primetime showdown on ABC. Both teams enter the game unbeaten and looking sharp after dominant season-opening wins, and both feature Heisman-caliber, NFL Draft-bound talent expected to be featured prominently on the national stage.
For Ohio State, the formula is straightforward: continue feeding Jeremiah Smith and letting quarterback Julian Sayin operate efficiently behind an offensive line that held up well in Week 1, while trusting a Matt Patricia-led defense that limited Ball State to almost nothing on the ground. For Texas, Arch Manning’s connection with both Ryan Wingo and Cam Coleman gives Steve Sarkisian’s offense multiple ways to attack a Buckeyes secondary that will be facing its first real test of the season.
Expect this game to live up to the hype. With two of the sport’s most talented rosters, a laundry list of premium NFL Draft prospects on both sides of the ball, and major early-season College Football Playoff implications on the line, Ohio State-Texas should be appointment viewing and potentially the first true measuring-stick result of the 2026 season.
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