Joel Klatt makes Heisman Trophy pick before Week 1
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Fox Sports college football analyst Joel Klatt knows who he’s picking to win the Heisman Trophy for the 2026 college football season.
He knows that Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr is getting a lot of love for the award, but isn’t backing him to win it. In fact, he’s not taking any of the quarterbacks to win the prestigious award.
MORE:Tracking all the college football experts’ national title pick
Klatt is going with Ohio State star wideout Jeremiah Smith to take home the Heisman. He explained why he’s making the selection in the most recent edition of “The Joel Klatt Show.”
“We’ve got a player who I think is the best overall player in college football, and at the end of the year we might be looking up, and this guy might have well over 40 touchdowns in his career receiving. My pick for Heisman is going to be Jeremiah Smith,” Klatt said. “I think at the end of the year, there’s going to be a lot of candidates, there’s no doubt. One might even be his teammate and quarterback Julian Sayin.”
“But he has the ability to capture moments and make the plays that will make our imagination go wild. Where everyone will be sharing viral moments of Jeremiah Smith, and I think that he can capture, become the face of the sport. By the end of the year, he might have numbers that we haven’t seen in a long time from a career perspective.”
Making more of a case for Jeremiah Smith
Despite not picking a quarterback, Smith is a great pick since he’s the best wide receiver in the country heading into the 2026 season. He’s been electric over the previous two seasons, compiling 163 receptions for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns.
There’s a good chance he surpasses 4,000 receiving yards and 40 touchdowns by the end of the year.
Ohio State will open the 2026 college football season against Ball State this Saturday. Kickoff will be at 12:30 p.m. ET.
— Enjoy free coverage of the top news & trending stories with The Big Lead Newsletter —
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos