In terms of hype for promising recruits, no player received more praise than five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was ranked the No. 1 player in the Class of 2024.
Smith, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver from Ohio State, is on the verge of becoming the Buckeyes' next star-studded wideout, adding to the talented team that has departed over the past few seasons. He joins a long list of players. He will ultimately end up being a first-round pick in the NFL.
However, Ohio State has brought in elite running backs as well, with former five-star players Colonel Tate and Brandon Inniss leading the team, as well as an elite running back on campus. When he stepped into , it was unclear what the true freshman's role would ultimately be. Quinshon Judkins pairs with Treveyon Henderson on the ground.
But it didn't take long for Smith to make a splash on campus. The early enrollee made a number of surprising catches and showed elite potential in his first few weeks in Columbus.
This will earn him the starting No. 2 role for the Buckeyes, and Smith has already emerged as the team's top receiver through five games, making big play after big play.
Through the first six weeks of the season, Smith has 23 catches for 453 yards and six touchdowns, leading the team in the latter two categories, while Egbuka also has 30 catches for 423 yards and five scores. And I haven't lost to that.
Even more impressively, Smith has a touchdown catch in each of his first five games, gaining over 70 yards in each contest and winning both deep balls and yards after the catch.
Smith, who is touted as potentially the greatest receiver recruit in Ohio State history, is grateful for the opportunity, noting that the Buckeyes had a long lineage of wideouts before him. .
“All the receivers that came to Ohio State and were here before I got here, I never expected to be in the role that I am now,” Smith said two weeks ago. “I thank God and am grateful to be in the position I am in.”
Head coach Ryan Day acknowledged the buzz about the five-star player being the best receiver player in his program's history, and considering his elite size, speed profile, and overall skill set, he ranks him above other players. He pointed out how difficult it is to compare with players.
“I don't think it's strange for you to talk about it,” Day said of Smith's potential earlier this season. “I think it's probably inappropriate for me to talk about him because he's only played two games and he's so young. I think the easy thing is to get ahead of ourselves.
If I start talking about it too much, it's not a good look and it's unfair to him. He must still be young. He has to make mistakes. he has to grow up. I think he is a difficult player to complete due to his size. His explosive power, running ability, and approach. He's very mature for his age. ”
Smith headlines an elite 2024 receiver class that includes a number of breakout freshman stars, including Ryan Williams from the University of Alabama, and the five-star player has a commitment to him even before he steps foot on campus. I found a way to exceed high expectations.
He had perhaps his most impressive game last weekend with four catches, 89 yards and a touchdown against one of the toughest secondaries in the country in the Iowa Hawkeyes. That included this incredible one-handed catch against man coverage in the end zone, which started a dominant day for the Buckeyes.
Smith has another significant challenge ahead of him this weekend as the Buckeyes take on the No. 3 Oregon Ducks in a battle between the Big Ten's top two teams, which could have a significant impact later in the season. There is.
But so far, no challenge has proven too tall for the five-star recruit, and he hopes to prove that's the case once again Saturday night in one of the bigger games of the season. That's what I think.
