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The two best wide receivers in college football might just be the ones who were taking high school classes a year ago.
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith and Alabama’s Ryan Williams have dazzled with one-handed catches and incredible plays all season. They would be impressive regardless of their ages, but the two freshmen are 18 and 17 years old, respectively.
And they have impressed each other as well.
“When we got on the bus, they were still playing, so when I got on the bus he made that big catch, I was like ‘woah, yeah, he’s different’,” Smith said, per Richard Johnson of CBS Sports. “I just feel like we’re the best receivers in the country right now as freshmen.”
The play he was talking about was Williams’ game-winning touchdown in Alabama’s victory over Georgia on Sept. 28.
He came down with the jumping, contested catch and then spun past multiple defenders before running to the end zone in a blur. And it just so happened to come right after Smith made multiple one-handed catches on the same day during the Buckeyes’ victory over Michigan State.
“I just told him, keep doing what you’re doing,” Smith said of the encouraging texts they sent each other in the aftermath.
Smith wasn’t done with one-handed catches, as he followed up the Michigan State performance with another one in the end zone the following week against Iowa.
He will be firmly under the spotlight Saturday in a showdown between the No. 2 Buckeyes and No. 3 Oregon Ducks, and another similar showing will make him even more of a household name as a freshman.
As for Williams and Alabama, it was unable to build momentum from that critical win over the Bulldogs and lost in stunning fashion to Vanderbilt on Saturday. The freshman receiver did what he could with three catches for 82 yards and one touchdown but the team will have plenty of opportunities to bounce back as it chases a College Football Playoff spot.
Perhaps Ohio State and Alabama will run into each other in that Playoff.
If they do, the wide receiver position will be appointment viewing.
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