Ryan Day’s confirmed suspicion about Ohio State freshman WR Jeremiah Smith is telling about the season he could have

When Ohio State takes the field on Saturday for their first game of the season against Akron, they will do so with a star freshman on offense starting who has sky-high expectations around him .

Jeremiah Smith was the No. 1 player in the class of 2025 and now he is set to start for the Buckeyes, which is not something that a freshman wideout does at Ohio State all that often. Ryan Day confirmed earlier in the week that Skith would be out there on the first offensive snap for Ohio State when they play Akron.

When it comes to what Smith has done to earn that job, it is pretty much what we all have already known. He has hit the ground running from Day 1 and does not look like your typical freshman wide receiver. Smith is setting himself up to be a three-year starter in Columbus.

“Oh geez. He’s been consistent,” Day said on Wednesday . “He’s been very workmanlike since he’s been here. He’s shown to be a deep threat down the field. Mature beyond his years.”

Smith is a player that the Buckeyes got as an early enrollee and has been able to dive in head first with the program. Star wideouts the caliber of Smith don’t come along all that often, even at Ohio State. Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. have all walked through the doors but none of them had this much hype.

The 6-foot-3 Smith has already shown his ability to stretch the defense, according to Day and that could be a huge part of Ohio State’s offense. Smith is set to be one of graduate transfer quarterback Will Howard’s top targets. Other wide receivers that will have a role are Emeka Egbuka, Carnell Tate, and Brandon Inniss early on.

Despite not even playing in a game yet, the hype around Smith is as high as any player we’ve seen in Columbus and that says a lot. Now, we just wait to see what the talented wideout can do for the Buckeyes from the very start.

Related: Ohio State QB Will Howard’s favorite team growing up will not sit well with Buckeye fans