No. 1 prospect Jeremiah Smith commits to Ohio State but who is he?
The speculation is now over after the highly-touted pass catcher committed to the Buckeyes. The question now is, can he deliver on his obvious promise?
With an official commitment from the top-ranked player in the country, Ohio State receives yet another boost as it seeks to maintain its position as one of the top programs in the entire country.
Jeremiah Smith commits to Ohio State
According to reports, Rivals.com’s five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith stood by his verbal commitment to Ohio State, announcing on Wednesday at midday that he will sign with the Buckeyes. It was of course the first day that high school recruits could put pen to paper on letters of intent with the colleges of their choice. It’s worth noting that Smith didn’t actually sign his letter of intent for hours, however, on Wednesday evening, Ohio State announced that he was officially part of its recruiting class.
It took a while but Jeremiah Smith finally came through
While it may surprise you, Smith has actually been verbally committed to Ohio State since December of 2022, however, given the reputation with which he comes, many other schools were hoping they could convince the Florida native to join them instead of the Buckeyes. Ultimately, that’s not the case and with that, the wide receiver will now be joining the ranks of Ohio State’s legendary wide receivers corps. Think of the likes of Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba who we have seen in recent years become immediate contributors after they were first-round NFL Draft picks. There is of course also Heisman finalist Marvin Harrison Jr., who is widely expected to be a top-five pick in the 2024 NFL Draft if and when he declares.
Ohio State won some and lost some
While the fanfare surrounding Smith’s commitment was understandably loud, the Buckeyes did have to contend with the loss of a recruit in the form of four-star wide receiver, Jeremiah McClellan, who committed to Oregon on Wednesday morning. The No. 36 prospect in the country had been verbally committed to Ohio State for the last four months but finally decided to head to the North West. As you can imagine, the 2023 early signing period is one that is of particular importance for Ohio State, as the school looks to challenge Michigan in the Big 10.
The Wolverines have won the last three titles in the division and more importantly on the back of wins over the Buckeyes in the last week of the regular season period. That’s to say, something has to change. At present, Ohio State owns the No. 3 recruiting class in the country having secured Smith as well as two other five-star recruits: quarterback Air Noland and defensive end Eddrick Houston. The signal-caller signed with the Buckeyes earlier on Wednesday, while the DE made his own announcement shortly after Smith’s.
OK, but who is Jeremiah Smith?
247Sports compared Smith to Julio Jones, before describing him as “An absolute bully at the catch point that will give defenses fits given the rare combination of his size, speed, and hands. Wasn’t always the biggest kid, but owns a more college-ready frame at roughly 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, and is likely only going to add more mass in the coming years as he has large features.” Where numbers are concerned, Smith finished his high school career at powerhouse Chaminade-Madonna Prep in South Florida with more than 3,000 yards receiving. As a senior, he caught 88 passes for 1,376 yards, leading his team to a 14-0 record.