On the subject of the hype of promising recruits, there wasn’t any participant who obtained greater than five-star broad 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 record of proficient gamers which have come and gone over the previous few seasons, with many in the end ending up as first-round picks within the NFL.
Nevertheless, it was unclear what the true freshman’s function would in the end 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 working 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 quite a few unimaginable catches, showcasing his elite potential inside 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 group’s main receiver by means of 5 video games, making large play after large play.
By the primary six weeks of the season, Smith has 23 catches for 453 yards and 6 touchdowns, main his group 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, successful on deep balls, in addition to with yards after the catch.
Touted as doubtlessly 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 were 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 check him to different gamers when given his elite size-speed profile and total skillset.
“I don’t assume it’s loopy for you guys to be speaking about it,” Day mentioned earlier this season about Smith’s potential. “I believe 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 believe the straightforward factor to do is to get out in entrance of ourselves.
If I’m beginning to speak an excessive amount of about that, it’s not a superb look and it’s not truthful to him. He nonetheless must be younger. He’s gotta make his errors. He’s gotta develop. I believe he’s a tough participant to have a comp with due to his measurement. His explosiveness, his capacity to run, his method. He’s very mature for his age.”
Smith has headlined an elite 2024 receiver class that features quite a few breakout freshman stars corresponding to Alabama’s Ryan Williams, and has discovered a strategy to exceed the lofty expectations that have 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 one more important 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 might have important implications later within the season.
However, up to now, no problem has confirmed to be too tall for the five-star recruit, and he’ll look to point out that’s the case but once more on Saturday night in one of many greater video games of the season.
