Jeremiah Smith is undoubtedly one of the top freshmen in all of college football. Now, he’s already in the mix for one of the elite honors in the sport.

This week, the Walter Camp Award released a list of semifinalists for the 2024 Player of the Year honor. That award is given annually to the best overall player in college football and is the 4th-oldest award in college football.

Smith was included in that list as 1 of the 20 semifinalists for the elite honor. He is the only pure wide receiver included on the list while Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter is also included.

Smith’s candidacy jumps off the page as not just an elite freshman but already one of the top receivers in all of college football. He has already shattered multiple Ohio State freshman records including catches (45), receiving yards (765) and receiving touchdowns (9).

Overall, Smith has scored in 8 of his 9 games played so far this season. He also has 2 games with multiple touchdowns. On a national level, Smith’s 9 receiving touchdowns are tied for the 6th-most in the country.

So, does Smith have any real shot to make it all the way as a finalist for the 2024 Walter Camp Award? Even with his impressive numbers, it’s a stretch to expect Smith to still be there at the end of the season.

Since 1992, just 2 receivers have taken home the honor: Pitt’s Larry Fitzgerald in 2003 and ALabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020. Smith also captured the Heisman Trophy while Fitzgerald was the runner-up in 2003.

Anything can happen, and Smith will certainly get his chances to compete for these major honors, but it’s likely he’ll have to wait at least another year or two before gaining more traction for an overall Player of the Year honor.