Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith is easily the best player in college football, and in 2025, he'll have the chance to take home some hardware to prove it. Smith was named to the Maxwell Award's preseason watchlist on Monday. The Maxwell Award is a player of the year award voted on by sports writers, broadcasters, and coaches.
Four Buckeyes have won the Maxwell Award in the past. Howard 'Hopalong' Cassidy in 1955, Bob Ferguson in 1961, Archie Griffin in 1975, and Eddie George in 1995. Hopalong Cassidy, Archie Griffin, and Eddie George also won the Heisman Trophy (1954, 1974, 1975, and 1995) while Bob Ferguson was a Heisman runner-up (1961).