Former 5-star recruit Jeremiah Smith is earning praise at Ohio State

Jeremiah Smith was one of the most complete and refined high school football recruits in the past decade. The now Ohio State wide receiver is living up to that hype as a true freshman.

Smith might well start for Ohio State, an especially impressive nod considering that the Buckeyes are popularly being picked to win the Big Ten and run the conference this year.

Speaking to the media this week, Buckeyes offensive coordinator and wide receivers coach Brian Hartline praised Smith’s instant impact. The buzz around the freshman wide receiver is palatable in Columbus.

Last year for Chaminade-Madonna (Hollywood, Florida), Smith finished with 90 catches for 1,389 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. Chaminade-Madonna ended the season14-0 and were the second-best team in the nation in the final USA TODAY Sports Super 25. He was making highlight plays on an almost weekly basis.

Smith was a five-star recruit who enrolled at Ohio State this spring and has done nothing less than impress since stepping foot on campus.

“He has a lot of tools. He works extremely hard and I will say this, I would say we’ve never had an ‘Iron Buckeye’ from coach Mick (strength coach Mickey Marotti) as a freshman,” Hartline told reporters this week.

“I don’t know about ever or definitely since I’ve been here,” Hartline told reporters.

“So a lot of credit to him, as far as Jeremiah goes, he embodied everything that is a part of that conversation. It’s not just lifting numbers, speed numbers. It is the way you carry yourself, the way you train, the edge to you, it’s all that. He’s the first one that’s ever earned that and we kind of leave it at that.”

Smith ended the season in the All-American Bowl and as the top-ranked player in the 2024 class according to 247Sports.