Ohio State Buckeyes boast 2 highest-rated players in video game

The July 10 release date of EA Sports College Football 26 video game is fast-approaching and fans are already clamoring to learn where their favorite stars stack up in the rankings.

TeamCrafters - and social media sleuths - have reported the unconfirmed results on those rankings.

The top two highest-rated players in the game? A pair of Ohio State Buckeyes.

Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith earned a 98 overall, while safety Caleb Downs registered a 96 overall.

No other player in the country received a rating higher than 95.

Frankly, the Smith-Downs combo being 1-2 in the rankings is far from a surprise.

Coming out of Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Florida) in the class of 2024, Smith was the No. 1 recruit in the country.

And he immediately lived up to the hype. 

As a freshman, Smith emerged as a true generational talent, the type of player who makes the "three years before entering the NFL draft" rules seem antiquated.

Last fall, the 6-foot-3, 215-pound pass-catcher hauled in 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. 

Perhaps equally impressive, many speculated he would've easily been a top-five pick in this year's NFL draft despite being two more years away from eligibility. 

Fellow class of 2024 recruit Caleb Downs was rated the nation's No. 8 overall prospect and No. 1 safety coming out of. Mill Creek (Georgia).

He spent his freshman campaign at Alabama, emerging as arguably the nation's best defensive back in Year 1.

After transferring to Ohio State last offseason, Downs continued his torrid pace, establishing himself as a likely NFL top-10 draft pick and perhaps the best defensive player in the country.

While the rankings are not yet "official-official," it seems highly unlikely that Smith and Downs will be bumped for the No. 1 and 2 spots before the game's release.

They are simply head-and-shoulders above the competition when it comes to college football's most dynamic duos.