After week 5 of the college football season, one thing stands out to me, the dominance of some of the top wide receivers in the country. Some of the more established players including Travis Hunter, Luther Burden III, Tetairoa McMillian, and Emeka Egbuka have all dominated the competition. While these players have made headlines, two of the youngest players in college football had some notable performances in week 5. Let’s take a look at how Ryan Williams and Jeremiah Smith have taken the college football world by storm in 2024.
Ryan Williams
Last night’s Alabama-Georgia game had one player at the forefront of things. And he was the youngest player on the field. Ryan Williams, the 17-year-old Freshman, dominated the Georgia Bulldogs secondary with 177 yards, including a 75-yard game-winner where Williams displayed an incredible combo of body control, agility and speed. Williams so far this season has 5 scores in 4 games and looks to be one of the nation’s best Wideouts when he should still be in High School.
Jeremiah Smith
In a different part of the country, Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is having similar dominance as a freshman. While Ohio State’s game was more of a blowout, Smith hauled in a touchdown, with an incredible one-handed grab against the Michigan State Spartans. Smith has been rumored as a freshman to be as good as Chris Olave and Marvin Harrison in his first year at the Shoe.
The Young Receivers Futures
The combined age of Smith and Williams is just 35, as the two freshmen continue to shine for two of the nation’s best teams. There is a chance the two are on a collision course for a playoff matchup in December or January. And the scary thing is, they both are in year one of three or four at their respective schools. The College Football landscape could largely be dominated by these two over the coming years.