Nick Saban went on The Rich Eisen Show on Monday and gave Ohio State superstar wideout Jeremiah Smith the highest praise possible.
The former legendary head coach in the SEC who’s now an ESPN college football analyst coached too many amazing wide receivers to count. But when talking to Eisen about the exploits of Smith since he started his career at Ohio State in 2024, Saban came back to 1 of his former Alabama wideouts in particular.
It was Julio Jones, who starred in Tuscaloosa from 2008-10, in the early years of the Saban dynasty at Alabama. Jones went on to have an incredible NFL career, but he planted the seeds at Alabama, where Jones was an All-SEC and All-American performer for the Crimson Tide.
What about Smith? Well, all he’s done recently is become the all-time leader in receiving yards in Ohio State history, become the first Buckeyes wideout to eclipse the 3,000-yard mark and record a whopping 12 catches for 217 yards and 4 touchdowns in last Saturday’s victory over Illinois.
Smith already has 33 catches for 617 yards and 7 TDs through 4 games in 2026, and Saban has been watching it all. On Monday, he connected the present (Smith) with his own past (Jones) in talking about arguably the best player right now in college football.
“He’s one of the most dominant players in college football. I mean, he really is,” Nick Saban said. “That guy is big and strong. You know, I thought Julio Jones was kind of one of a kind, you know, back in the day when we had him. This guy reminds me of him in a lot of ways. He’s gonna have a fantastic career, and he’s had a fantastic career as a college player.”
Smith is trying to push Ohio State to more victories and eventually a spot in the College Football Playoff in 2026. Here is what the Kalshi market is currently saying about the Buckeyes’ chances to be among the field of 12 teams in December:
Cory Nightingale, a former sportswriter and sports editor at the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post, is a South Florida-based freelance writer who covers Alabama for SaturdayDownSouth.com.
