No. 1 recruit lives up to the hype in Ohio State debut

The hype behind Ohio State true freshman Jeremiah Smith was no exaggeration.

On Saturday, Smith made his collegiate debut in a 52-6 throttling of Akron by the No. 2 Buckeyes, immediately showcasing why he was the No. 1 recruit in the nation. Through one half of football, the highly touted wideout recorded five catches for 47 yards (9.4 YPC) and two touchdowns, ultimately finishing the day with six receptions for 92 yards (15.3 YPC).

Smith's first score came late in the first quarter, with the Buckeyes trailing 3-0. Facing a 3rd and 6 from the Akron 16, he twisted his body to grab a perfectly placed toss from quarterback Will Howard in the end zone, notching the first points of the 2024 campaign for Ohio State.

Three possessions later, the blossoming star would find paydirt again. With 4:30 left in the first half, Smith broke open on a slant inside the red zone, catching a nine-yard dart from Howard for his second touchdown.

Viewed as one of the most exciting receiving prospects to emerge in recent years, Smith has been under the microscope for a while now.

He committed to Ohio State in 2022 before notching 88 catches for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns during his senior season at Chaminade-Madonna Prep. Shortly after graduating, ESPN ranked him the 10th-best newcomer for the 2024 college season in August.

If that wasn't enough, Smith also gained attention from sports juggernauts. Before taking a snap in a Buckeyes uniform, he'd caught the eye of Ohio native and future Basketball Hall of Famer LeBron James, only heightening expectations for the 18-year-old.

However, ahead of his first game, Smith displayed the mindset necessary to block out the noise and succeed.

"It's a blessing, but, I mean, you don't want that hype to affect you and all this other stuff that's going around me," Smith told Dillon Davis of the Delaware Gazette . "I just keep my head down, just find ways to get better every day."

Smith also proved mentally strong on the field, as his impressive college debut started with a dropped pass in the opening quarter. Yet, considering how he responded, it could be the best kind of omen for the freshman, backed up by former Ohio State great Cris Carter.

Carter acknowledged on X that he also dropped his first pass in college. But things seemed to work out fine for him after that, and he has a bust in Canton to prove it.