Jeremiah Smith may have only spent one season at Ohio State, but that’s all it took for him to carve out a legacy that Buckeye fans will remember for years to come. During his standout freshman year, the wide receiver caught 76 passes for a whopping 1,315 yards, and found the end zone 15 times. His performances didn’t just help his team secure a national championship; they also earned him well-deserved All-American honors and the title of Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
The path that led Smith to Ohio State wasn’t always clear-cut. Reflecting on his recruitment journey at Big Ten Media Days, Smith shared some insights into how he almost ended up with the Miami Hurricanes, which would have been a homecoming for him in Florida.
“What took me a while to send in my National Letter of Intent was really about paperwork and the business side of things,” Smith explained, mentioning that he had a conversation with Cam Ward during that pivotal night. However, despite the allure of Miami, his destiny lay with the Buckeyes.
Now, as the next season looms on the horizon, expectations are through the roof for Smith, despite the looming uncertainty at the quarterback position. Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz are battling it out for the starting spot, but Smith remains unfazed by the competition in Ohio State’s quarterback room.
He exudes confidence, telling fans, “I just can’t wait until the season starts. We’re definitely going to put on a show. A lot of people have been doubting us online, and I can’t wait to prove them wrong this year.”
Ohio State is set to kick off its 2025 campaign on August 30 against Texas, and with Smith on the field, the Buckeyes are sure to be a spectacle worth watching.
