AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith is the most feared wide receiver in college football.
For most teams, anyway. When No. 1 Texas and No. 3 Ohio State meet Saturday, Smith will face the one team that shut him down last season.
Texas held Smith to just one catch for 3 yards in a College Football Playoff semifinal. The Buckeyes won the game 28-14 and went on to win the national title as Smith scored a touchdown and set up the game-clinching field goal in the final minutes with a 56-yard catch.
Smith is ready for the rematch against Texas and looking for some personal redemption.
“I'm definitely hyped about this one, especially with how things went last year, people saying things about me, about that game I had last year,” Smith said during Buckeyes training camp. “I'm definitely hungry for this one, for sure.”
Texas wouldn't expect him to be any other way. Smith is among the early Heisman Trophy contenders along with Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning.
“He has all the hype right now.," Texas cornerback Malik Muhammad said Monday. “He's the guy everyone is looking at in college football. I'm sure he's overly motivated, especially coming out of that game last year.”
Smith had 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns last season, with all three marks Ohio State freshman records. Yet the Longhorns smothered him with cornerback Jahdae Barron, last season's Thorpe Award winner, and safety Andrew Mukuba. Both of them are now in the NFL.
But while Texas has some holes to fill in the secondary, it's hardly a rebuild. It's more like a reload.
Texas senior safety Michael Taaffe, like Smith a preseason All-American, and Muhammad will anchor a unit that has plenty of experience. Some analysts rate the position group among the best in the country.
Texas also adds the return of Duane Akina as safeties coach and passing game defensive coordinator. Akina spent 13 seasons at Texas from 2001-2013 when he coached two Thorpe Award winners (Michael Huff in 2005 and Aaron Ross in 2006) and two more finalists. He spent the past two seasons at Arizona.
In a straight physical matchup, Smith towers overs most defensive backs at 6-foot-3, 223 pounds. Muhammad is 6-0, 181. Taaffe is 6-0, 189.
Smith also had the speed to lead the nation last year with six catches longer than 50 yards.
“What he does on the football field, it doesn't seem like a real human's doing that ... It's going to be really fun going against him because he's a freak of nature," Taaffe said. “The best thing about him is going up and getting the football. You can put three DBs on him, but if you get it up in the air, he's going to go get it.”
Texas made sure Smith was always covered by multiple defenders on almost every play last season. But that also opened the field for the rest of the Buckeyes. Carnell Tate had seven catches for 89 yards against the Longhorns in the playoff.
The same scenario could play out Saturday as Akina and Texas defensive coordinator Pete Kwiatkowski draw up a game play to neutralize Smith again.
“Ideally you’ve got multiple people with eyes on him and guarding him, but you still have to play great team defense," Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said. “And you’ve gotta cover the two other wideouts they have or two other really good players, too.”
But Smith is the Buckeyes' ultimate playmaker.
“I do think, at the end of the day, (Smith) is where your attention needs to be,” Sarkisian said. “You better know where No. 4 is at all times.”
Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-football
FILE - Texas defensive back Malik Muhammad plays during the second half an NCAA football game against Mississippi State, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Michael Thomas, File)
FILE - Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) scores a touchdown against Oregon defensive back Kobe Savage (5) during the first half in the quarterfinals of the Rose Bowl College Football Playoff, Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in Pasadena, Calif. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)
HINWIL, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 16, 2026--
Audi Revolut F1 Team today announced a multi-year partnership with Nexo, the leading digital assets platform. The strategic partnership sees Nexo become the team’s inaugural official digital asset partner, placing Nexo’s next-generation digital tools on a global stage.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260116368670/en/
The partnership marks a pivotal moment for both organisations as Audi Revolut F1 Team enters Formula 1 and Nexo accelerates its growth as a premium digital asset platform. Ambitious and performance-driven, both brands are aligned around a shared trajectory of innovation and disciplined execution, underpinned by a common engineering mindset and a focus on performance at the highest level.
Over the course of the partnership, Nexo will activate globally through premium experiences and digital-first engagement. Exclusive opportunities designed to bring fans and Nexo clients closer to Audi Revolut F1 Team will include exclusive access, co-created content and education, and next-generation immersive brand experiences.
Stefano Battiston, Chief Commercial Officer of Audi Revolut F1 Team: “Today, we are proud to welcome Nexo as our official digital asset partner at a moment of strong growth for both organisations. The partnership reflects a shared ambition to scale with discipline and innovation, and to create tangible value — from exclusive experiences to new ways of engaging our global fanbase and Nexo’s clients.”
Antoni Trenchev, Co-founder, Nexo: “Nexo was built for a demanding reality: instant, self-directed, and always on. Partnering with Audi Revolut F1 Team at the start of their new era is a statement about how we see the future. As the team’s official digital asset partner, we will bring meaningful utility and premium experiences to a global audience, grounded in the same discipline and precision that defines success in motor sports.”
About Nexo
Nexo is a premier digital assets wealth platform designed to empower clients to grow, manage, and preserve their crypto holdings. Our mission is to lead the next generation of wealth creation by focusing on customer success and delivering tailored solutions that build enduring value, supported by 24/7 client care.
Since 2018, Nexo has provided unmatched opportunities to forward-thinking clients in over 150 jurisdictions. With over $11 billion in AUM and over $371 billion processed, we bring lasting value to millions worldwide. Our all-in-one platform combines advanced technology with a client-first approach, offering high-yield flexible and fixed-term savings, crypto-backed loans, sophisticated trading tools, and liquidity solutions, including the first crypto debit/credit card. Built on deep industry expertise, a sustainable business model, robust infrastructure, stringent security, and global licensing, Nexo champions innovation and long-lasting prosperity.
Official website: nexo.com
About Audi Revolut F1 Team
Audi Revolut F1 Team is the official factory team of Audi, as the brand enters the FIA Formula 1 World Championship for the first time in 2026. This project, in which Audi will create its own hybrid drive system ('power unit') developed in Germany, represents the ultimate expression of the manufacturer's ‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ philosophy and embodies a long-term commitment to compete at the pinnacle of motorsport with the clear objective of challenging for world championships by 2030. Audi Revolut F1 Team is based in three locations: the power unit is developed by Audi Formula Racing GmbH at the Audi Competence Center Motorsport in Neuburg, Germany; the chassis is engineered and race operations are managed from the state-of-the-art facilities of Audi Motorsport AG in Hinwil, Switzerland; while the Audi Motorsport Technology Centre UK in Bicester, United Kingdom, provides a foothold in the heart of 'Motorsport Valley', with direct access to top F1 talent and key strategic partners. This integrated structure provides complete control over the project, embedding a culture of precision, innovation, and relentless performance. Audi’s entry is strategically timed to coincide with new Formula 1 regulations focused on increased electrification, as the electric share of the hybrid drive is raised to almost 50%, and the introduction of 100% sustainable fuels. The entry into Formula 1, one of the most important platforms in the world, serves as a high-tech catalyst for the entire Audi brand, acting as a global stage to demonstrate technological leadership and connect with new, diverse audiences by creating cultural impact that resonates far beyond the race track.
Audi Revolut F1 Team Welcomes Nexo as Official Digital Asset Partner
