The Shaun Alexander Award Down to Just 2?

© Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK

The heartbeat of every college football program is recruiting top talent to build a program into a national title contender. There have been no better programs at doing this than No. 10 Alabama (8-2, 4-2 Southeastern Conference) and No. 2 Ohio State (9-1, 6-1 Big Ten Conference). Each year both programs find themselves at the top of the recruiting rankings vying for some of the top high school recruits in the country. With thousands of recruits entering college football each year, the chances to stand out and be an impactful player are slim at best, but for two players it has come easy.

Alabama’s Ryan Williams and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith have been two of the best true freshmen all year. The stats both wide receivers are putting up have made them the consensus finalists for the prestigious Shaun Alexander Award. The Alexander Award is given out by the Maxwell Football Club to the nation's top freshman player. There might be several names on the finalist list but only two have a real chance of winning.

By the Numbers

Williams and Smith have both been pivotal in their teams’ offensive success. Williams reclassified to the 2024 class and is only 17-years-old this season making him the youngest player in FBS. Smith is 18-years-old turning 19 just one day before Ohio State plays rival Michigan (5-5, 3-4) on Nov. 30 in Columbus, Ohio. Both Williams and Smith are proving age is not a factor with both being the leading wide receivers on their teams. 

In 10 games this season Williams has totaled 767 yards on 40 receptions with 8 touchdowns and is averaging 23.67 yards per catch. Smith has played in 10 games and has tallied 865 yards on 49 catches with 9 touchdowns and is averaging 18.9 yards per catch this season. 

Smith's Biggest Accomplishment

Smith's numbers are impressive but the most impressive thing he has been able to accomplish in his young career is cementing himself as Ohio State's WR1. The Buckeyes have one of the best wide receiving rooms in the country, with not one, but two projected first-round NFL picks. The fact Smith moving into the No. 1 spot is a testament to just how good the freshman has been this season.

Emeka Egbuka has been with the Buckeyes since 2021 and was supposed to be Buckeye's WR1 this season. Projected as a top 15 pick this NFL draft, Egbuka was just the next great Ohio State WR1. But instead, Egbuke finds himself as the second option for QB Will Howard, something no one predicted.

The case is being made that Smith will be the best WR in Ohio State school history by the time he enters the NFL draft. With a minimum of two games left, Smith has already set freshman WR records for touchdown catches, total receptions and receiving yards. 

Big Game, Big Plays

College football's top programs seasons are made up of usually just two or three challenging games. It's these two or three games that separate the great players from the players that will win the awards as the country's best. Williams and Smith both have had the chance to showcase their talent against some of the best teams in their conferences.

Williams, in his young career, has gone up against some of the SEC best in No. 12 Georgia (7-2, 5-2), No. 7 Tennessee (8-1, 5-1) and No. 22 LSU (6-4, 3-3). In those three games, Williams has 16 receptions on 30 targets for 279 yards, 2 touchdowns and averaged 17.7 yards per reception. Williams's best game of the three came in a 41-43 win over Georgia, where he had 6 receptions for 177 yards, 1 touchdown and averaged 29.5 yards per catch.

Smith, like Williams, also had the chance to show his talent against three of the Big Ten Conference's best in No. 1 Oregon (10-0, 7-0), No. 4 Penn State (9-1, 6-1) and Iowa (6-4, 4-3). Smith has 17 receptions on 23 targets for 244 yards, 2 touchdowns and averaged 15.7 yards per reception. Smith's best game came in a 32-31 loss to Oregon, where he had 9 receptions for 100 yards, 1 touchdown and averaged 11.1 yards per catch.

Williams Has a Moment

Winning a top award many times comes down to one memorable play. It’s that one moment in a game that gives a player the advantage needed to hear their name called. Both Williams and Smith have had many big moments, but their most memorable moment came in their best games. For one it led to a win while for the other it led to a loss.

In a Week 5 matchup Alabama watched Georgia erase a 23-point first-half deficit and take a 34-33 lead late in the fourth quarter. The Crimson Tide offense would take the field and it took one play to find the end zone for the winning score. Jalen Milroe hit Williams for a 75-yard TD pass. Williams would adjust to the ball in the air come down and outrun two Georgia defenders on his way in for the TD.

Smith's play unfortunately helped Ohio State earn their only loss this season. After Oregon took a late 32-31 lead, Ohio State would work their way into field goal range. Then with 22 seconds left on a second-and-10 on the Oregon 28, Howard will find Smith on the Oregon 21. Unfortunately, a flag would come in for offensive pass interference.  The penalty would take the Buckeyes out of field goal range. It’s a mistake the Buckeyes would not overcome, as they never got back into field goal range for a chance to win the game.

Now with only a few games remaining Williams and Smith have a chance to add stats and prove they are the best freshman in the country. Smith has an advantage by having a top 5 game remaining to showcase what he can do against one of the nation's best. Regardless of who wins the award both have bright futures and are already projected as 2027 top NFL picks.