Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) rushes the ball during the game against Ohio University Sept. 13. Credit: Liam Ahern | Sports Photo Editor
Before he ever caught a pass in Ohio Stadium, the legend of Jeremiah Smith was already building.
Murmurs of the 18-year-old from Florida, being the next great Buckeye receiver, echoed throughout Columbus long before he ever suited up in the Scarlett and Gray. The No. 1 recruit in the nation, Smith arrived at Ohio State carrying the kind of hype usually reserved for veterans, not freshmen.
Then came his first college drive.
On the Buckeyes’ second play from scrimmage in week one against Akron, Smith lined up wide left of quarterback Will Howard. The ball was snapped, Howard looked his way and fired a quick pass to the freshman with blockers out in front. The ball slipped right through Smith’s hands.
It would be the last drop of the season.
He finished the year with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, along with a national championship. Smith shattered Ohio State’s freshman receiving records and redefined what a first-year player could be.
“You can see the talent,” head coach Ryan Day said. “Sometimes you look at him and you don’t think he’s quite human, but he is. He’s just built different.”
The wide receiver was voted “Best Football Player” and “Best Male Athelete” by Lantern readers for this year’s “Best of OSU” polling.
Smith grew up in Opa-locka, a small city just north of Miami, where football is a way of life. By middle school, his size and athleticism separated him from his peers, and by high school, he was starring at powerhouse Chaminade-Madonna Prep. As a senior, he caught 88 passes for more than 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns, leading his team to a state championship and earning the title of the nation’s top receiver.
When he committed to Ohio State, fans expected him to extend the Buckeyes’ wide receiver legacy, which had produced four first-round picks in the previous five years.
But few expected the impact he would make in his first season.
Smith took the college football world by storm after racking up 453 yards and six touchdowns through his first five games, including spectacular one-handed catches in back-to-back weeks against Michigan State and Iowa.
His 6-foot-3 frame and track-star speed made him an instant matchup nightmare, the kind of player defensive coordinators built entire game plans around.
“He’s special,” former offensive coordinator Chip Kelly said. “I’ve said it from the beginning, I’ve not seen anybody like him. That combination of size and speed, the ability to track the football, the ability to go up and get the football, he’s maybe a once-in-a-lifetime guy.”
His connection with Howard evolved into one of the most dynamic quarterback-receiver duos in college football, highlighted by a 187-yard, two-touchdown performance in a Rose Bowl win over Oregon.
Now, midway through his sophomore campaign, the legend of Jeremiah Smith has only grown.
Through 25 career games, he has scored 25 touchdowns, the fastest any Ohio State player has ever reached that mark, breaking David Boston’s record. He has recorded 65 receptions for 862 yards and 11 total touchdowns this season, ranking among the nation’s top 10 in touchdowns, receiving yards and catches.
His combination of production and consistency has placed him squarely in the Heisman Trophy conversation, something no Buckeye has achieved since Troy Smith’s run nearly two decades ago.
If he stays on pace, Smith is projected to shatter multiple program records, including career receiving touchdowns and receptions.
“I don’t think it’s even close that Jeremiah Smith is the best offensive player in college football,” Day said.
Still, for all the attention and accolades, and with the possibility of the first back-to-back national championships in school history, Smith’s focus hasn’t changed.
“I’m just trying to be better every week,” Smith said. “Records and awards are cool, but I came here to win, that’s all that matters.”
