Relating to the hype of promising recruits, there wasn’t any participant who acquired greater than five-star vast receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was ranked because the No. 1 participant within the Class of 2024.
Smith, 6’3”, 215-pound receiver at Ohio State, was in line to be the subsequent star-studded wideout for the Buckeyes, becoming a member of a protracted listing of proficient gamers which have come and gone over the previous few seasons, with many finally ending up as first-round picks within the NFL.
Nonetheless, it was unclear what the true freshman’s function would finally be when he stepped onto campus, as Ohio State had returning star Emeka Egbuka, matched with former five-stars Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss main the room, whereas additionally bringing in elite operating again Quinshon Judkins to pair with TreVeyon Henderson on the bottom.
However, it didn’t take lengthy for Smith to make his mark on campus, because the early enrollee flashed with a lot of unimaginable catches, showcasing his elite potential throughout the first few weeks of reaching Columbus.
That translated into him incomes a beginning function for the No. 2 Buckeyes, and Smith has already emerged because the crew’s main receiver by 5 video games, making massive play after massive play.
By the primary six weeks of the season, Smith has 23 catches for 453 yards and 6 touchdowns, main his crew within the latter two classes, whereas Egbuka isn’t far behind with 30 catches for 423 yards and 5 scores.
Extra impressively, Smith has a landing catch in every of his first 5 profession video games, whereas going for over 70 yards in every contest, profitable on deep balls, in addition to with yards after the catch.
Touted as probably the best receiver recruit in Ohio State historical past, Smith has been grateful for the chance, noting the lengthy lineage of wideouts that got here earlier than him for the Buckeyes.
“Coming to Ohio State and all of the receivers which have been right here even earlier than I bought right here, I had no expectation of getting the function that I’ve proper now,” Smith mentioned two weeks in the past. “I give all of the due to God and simply to have the ability to be within the place I’m in proper now.”
Head coach Ryan Day acknowledged the dialog concerning the five-star being the best receiver recruit ever for his program, noting the way it’s robust to match him to different gamers when given his elite size-speed profile and total skillset.
“I don’t suppose it’s loopy for you guys to be speaking about it,” Day mentioned earlier this season about Smith’s potential. “I feel it’s in all probability inappropriate for me to speak about in that he’s solely performed two video games and that he’s so younger. I feel the straightforward factor to do is to get out in entrance of ourselves.
If I’m beginning to discuss an excessive amount of about that, it’s not a great look and it’s not honest to him. He nonetheless needs to be younger. He’s gotta make his errors. He’s gotta develop. I feel he’s a tough participant to have a comp with due to his dimension. His explosiveness, his means to run, his strategy. He’s very mature for his age.”
Smith has headlined an elite 2024 receiver class that features a lot of breakout freshman stars comparable to Alabama’s Ryan Williams, and has discovered a option to exceed the lofty expectations that had been set for him earlier than the five-star even set foot on campus.
He had maybe his most spectacular outing this previous weekend, going for 4 catches, 89 yards and a landing in opposition to one of many more durable secondaries within the nation with the Iowa Hawkeyes. That included this unimaginable one-handed catch working in opposition to man protection ultimately zone, beginning a dominant day for the Buckeyes.
Smith has yet one more vital problem forward of him this weekend, because the Buckeyes tackle the No. 3 Oregon Geese in a battle between the highest two groups within the Large Ten, which may have vital implications later within the season.
However, to this point, no problem has confirmed to be too tall for the five-star recruit, and he’ll look to indicate that’s the case but once more on Saturday night in one of many greater video games of the season.
