College Football Midseason Awards: Jeremiah Smith, Jesse Legree Lead The Way

What do Bob Chesney, Jeremiah Smith and Jesse Legree have in common? Well, for starters, they’ve all been outstanding throughout the first half of the 2026 college football season – and that deserves our attention. FOX Sports’ Urban Meyer, Mark Ingram, Matt Leinart and Brady Quinn handed out their college football midseason awards on “Big Noon Kickoff.” 2026 Record: 6-0 (4-0 in Big Ten play), No. 9-ranked team What Urban Meyer Said: “I don’t think it’s close. I think it’s Bob Chesney at UCLA. He took over a 3-9 mess at UCLA, and they’re now 6-0 and in the top 10. … He followed the Curt Cignetti plan. He brought 11 players with him from James Madison to Westwood. Here’s what I love: He runs the ball. He’s got the best offensive line in the Big Ten and maybe in college football. I enjoy watching them. Every Monday, I turn them on because I enjoy physical, downhill running, and that’s what they do.” Stats: 52 receptions, 984 yards (18.9 yards per reception), 12 touchdowns What Mark Ingram Said: “This is too easy. This is a layup. He has 140 receiving yards per game. He’s just the best player in college football.” Stats: 46 receptions, 1,040 yards (22.6 yards per reception), 14 touchdowns What Matt Leinart Said: “He is a really talented wide receiver, and earlier this week, he announced he’s coming back to Oregon State, which I thought was really cool. He wants to help build something there. He’s much different than Jeremiah Smith. He’s 5-foot-10 and 170 pounds. He reminds me of DeSean Jackson. He can fly. They throw the football all over the yard. The only receiver right now with over 1,000 yards. He leads the nation with 14 touchdowns. “He can run all the routes, and he can go. He’s ahead of DeVonta Smith at this point, too, and his Heisman season. This young man is the future of college football at wide receiver.” Week 1 (Sept. 5): Michigan 13, Western Michigan 12 What Brady Quinn Said: “You had David vs. Goliath. The debut of Kyle Whittingham at Michigan. Who thought that Michigan was going to get upset by Western Michigan? But no, they get another second, the controversy that goes along with it, the heartbreak for Western Michigan and the joy for Michigan and completing what was a miraculous play [as time expired in the fourth quarter], getting another opportunity and that second change in life and succeeding. … “That completion allowed Bryce Underwood probably to play quarterback a little bit longer. Without that win, maybe you would’ve seen Tommy Carr in there at quarterback a little bit earlier.”