Ohio State Buckeyes freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith entered the 2024 college football season with a lot of hype considering he was the top-rated player in the 2024 freshman recruiting class. However, it’s safe to say he lived up to that hype.
Jeremiah Smith immediately earned a spot as one of Ohio State’s starting wide receivers and it did not take long for him to emerge as one of the most dominant wide receivers in the entire country – finishing the season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024 – averaging out to 4.8 receptions for 82.2 yards and nearly a touchdown per game.
Smith was so good that he even exceeded his coaches’ soaring high expectations.
“Yeah, he’s obviously a special talent and I think that, you know, we had a plan coming in. I think Brian Hartline has done an unbelievable job throughout the recruiting process, and his family, of putting that plan in action,” Ohio State head coach Ryan Day said according to On3. “I think, you know, what we envisioned this season, you know, came true but maybe even a little bit more. For him to be able to sustain, you know, 16 games of play the way he did was pretty remarkable for a freshman.”
“As you know, it’s clear to see,” Day said. “You know, like we said from the jump, he is a generational talent, he’s a special player but, you know, he’s a great person.”
It was one of the most dominant seasons in history from a true freshman, particularly throughout the College Football Playoff, when Smith consistently looked like one of the best players on the field even as an 18-year-old playing his first season of college football.
But it sounds like Day thinks he can get even better.
“He need some rest. That body needs some rest,” Day said. “He needs to get away from football for a while because he really grinded throughout the season. I’m really proud of, you know, what he did.”
“There’s still parts of his game that he can improve and he’ll tell you that. We’ll put that plan together in the offseason and work through those things. We’ll put that plan together in the offseason and then put it back to work.”
Given what we saw this year, it feels pretty incomprehensible that he could improve any further. We’ll have to see how he performs next season, given the soaring high expectations.
