Jeremiah Smith, 5-star WR: Ohio State Signing Day 2024 player profile
What’s his deal?
Smith, in Ohio State’s illustrious history of recruiting wide receivers, might be the most talented high school recruit to ever commit to the Buckeyes.
Compared to Julio Jones by many, Smith already has a college-ready frame at 6-foot-3 and nearly 200 pounds. He’s got elite ball skills, is incredibly athletic and makes elite catches in traffic. He’s a prototypical No. 1 receiver, and has the skillset of previous high-level NFL draft choices at the position. A cousin of Geno Smith, he’s got an NFL family, too.
Smith is the highest-ranked player to commit to Ohio State since quarterback Quinn Ewers in the 2021 class, and the highest-ranked receiver to commit to the Buckeyes since Julian Fleming (No. 3) in the 2020 class.
If things go as expected for Smith in his Ohio State career, it will end with him leaving after three seasons so he can be a first round NFL Draft pick.
How he fits into Ohio State’s plans
Smith projects as an impact player sooner rather than later, and one that can have a Marvin Harrison Jr.-level impact on the Buckeyes’ offense. The expectations on him are remarkably large.
He projects as the X receiver in a fully-functioning offense and whenever he’s on the field should demand the ball in a myriad of ways, in the same way as other elite Ohio State receivers. The Buckeyes recruit receiver as well as any program in the nation, and Smith is the most talented high school recruit to join the program in a number of years — certainly since coach Ryan Day took over the program, and likely far longer.
It’s a tad unfair to say that Smith is just another commit in the line of great wide receiver commits for Ohio State, because he might be the best high school talent of them all.
Projections for 2024
Nothing is off the table for Smith in the 2024 season.
While it’s almost certainly unfair to expect that he make a massive impact on the offense as a starting wide receiver in his freshman season, him being a starter certainly isn’t off the table. And as he gets better, his role in the offense will expand.
Previous Ohio State receivers, even five-star ones, have not had the opportunity to join a depth chart that could have an entirely new trio starting. If Emeka Egbuka is headed to the NFL, then the depth chart will be as wide open as its been in years. That’s where he can find the opportunity.
Smith has that chance to step into a starting gig right away, and if he does, his talent should shine through right away. It’s perhaps still too unfair to expect him to be the best receiver on the team right away, or even that he’ll have a starting gig in Week 1, but Smith will have a role on the 2024 Buckeyes.
