If you’ve spent any time watching Saturday afternoon football lately, you’ve heard the name. Honestly, it’s hard to miss. Jeremiah Smith isn't just another highly-touted recruit playing for a big-name school. He’s essentially a glitch in the system. The 6-foot-3 wideout from Miami Gardens didn’t just walk onto the field at Ohio State; he took it over.
Most true freshmen are lucky to see the field for a dozen snaps a game. They’re usually busy learning the playbook or trying to put on enough weight to not get crushed by a 240-pound linebacker. Not this kid. Jeremiah Smith arrived in Columbus and immediately started making veteran cornerbacks look like they were running in sand.
It’s kinda wild when you think about the lineage at "Wide Receiver U." We’re talking about a program that recently produced Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. Usually, it takes a year or two for these guys to really find their footing. Smith decided he didn’t have time for that. He stepped in and immediately shattered records that had stood since the mid-80s.
Why Jeremiah Smith is the Most Hyped Buckeye Since Marvin Harrison Jr.
There was a moment during his freshman season in 2024 where everyone sort of stopped and realized this was different. It wasn’t just the speed. It was the way he’d snatch a ball out of the air with one hand like it was a routine drill. By the time the Buckeyes hit November, Smith had already broken Cris Carter’s long-standing freshman records for catches, yards, and touchdowns.
Cris Carter is a Hall of Famer. Breaking his records is a "career highlight" for most. For Smith, it was just Tuesday.
He finished that 2024 campaign with 76 receptions, 1,315 yards, and 15 touchdowns. If you’re keeping track, those 15 scores were the second-most in school history for any player, not just a freshman. He even capped it off by winning a National Championship and taking home the Rose Bowl Offensive MVP after a 187-yard explosion against Oregon.
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Handling the $4 Million Spotlight
You’ve probably seen the NIL numbers floating around. It’s a different era of college sports, and Smith is right at the top of the food chain. His valuation has climbed to roughly $4.2 million. That puts him in the same financial stratosphere as guys like Arch Manning.
What’s actually impressive, though, isn’t the money—it’s that it hasn't changed his game.
Ryan Day has mentioned multiple times how Smith just "works his tail off." He’s not the guy loud-talking on social media or making every practice about himself. He’s the guy in the facility early. Most experts expected a "sophomore slump" or at least some distraction in 2025. Instead, he just kept stacking numbers.
Even when he dealt with a nagging quad strain late in 2025—an injury that would’ve sidelined most players for a month—he pushed to play in "The Game" against Michigan. He told reporters later he was "debating if I was going to play or not because it was really bad." He played anyway. He caught a touchdown. Ohio State won. That’s just the DNA of the kid.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
If you’re a scout or just a fan trying to win a bar argument, look at the consistency. He became the fastest player in Ohio State history to reach 1,500 career receiving yards, doing it in just 19 games. To put that in perspective, he tied Jaxon Smith-Njigba for the fastest to 100 catches.
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Entering the 2026 season, he’s sitting on the doorstep of every major receiving record in the history of the program:
- He needs fewer than 50 catches to pass Emeka Egbuka for the career receptions record.
- He’s less than 350 yards away from Michael Jenkins’ all-time yardage mark.
- He’s only nine touchdowns shy of Chris Olave’s career record of 35.
Basically, he’s going to own the record book by October of his junior year.
The NFL Draft Reality: Is He the 2027 No. 1 Overall Pick?
Let’s talk about the elephant in the room. If Jeremiah Smith could have entered the NFL Draft after his freshman year, he probably would’ve been a first-round pick. Scouts from PFF and ESPN are already calling him the "Trevor Lawrence of wide receivers." That means he’s the rare prospect who is so polished and so physically dominant that he hits the ground running at every level.
He’s got the frame—6-foot-3 and now weighing in around 225 pounds. He has the track star speed from his high school days in Florida. But the thing that gets NFL guys excited is his "catch radius." Basically, if the ball is anywhere in his zip code, it’s his.
We’re seeing mock drafts for 2027 that have him going No. 1 overall. That doesn't happen for receivers. Usually, that spot is reserved for a "franchise quarterback" or a "generational pass rusher." But Smith is the kind of player who makes a quarterback’s life so easy that he becomes the franchise cornerstone himself.
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What to Watch for in the 2026 Season
The chemistry between Smith and quarterback Julian Sayin is only going to get deeper. Last year, they were the most dangerous duo in the Big Ten. This year, the goal is simple: another ring and a Heisman invite.
Honestly, it’s rare for a receiver to win the Heisman. DeVonta Smith did it, but it takes a perfect storm. Jeremiah Smith has that potential. He’s not just catching slants; he’s a threat on jet sweeps and deep shots that break a defense’s spirit.
If you want to track his progress this season, keep an eye on these three areas:
- The Red Zone Efficiency: Watch how teams triple-team him near the goal line. If he still comes down with 10+ touchdowns, he's effectively unguardable.
- Health and Longevity: After the quad issue in 2025, the Buckeyes will likely manage his reps early in the season to ensure he's 100% for the playoff run.
- The Record Chasing: Every game this year is a countdown to a new school record.
Jeremiah Smith isn't just playing for Ohio State anymore; he's playing for history. Whether you’re a Buckeye fan or just a fan of elite football, appreciate it while it lasts. Players like this don’t stay in college for long.
Next Steps for Fans and Analysts:
- Follow the Targets: Track Smith’s target share in the first three games of 2026 to see if Ohio State is leaning on him more as a primary option or using him as a decoy for guys like Brandon Inniss.
- Scout the Matchups: Circle the matchups against top-tier press-man corners in the Big Ten. That’s where Smith’s NFL tape will be won or lost.
- Watch the Heisman Odds: If Smith puts up 150+ yards in a primetime September matchup, his Heisman value will skyrocket—consider how that affects the Buckeyes' overall championship trajectory.