The Ohio State Buckeyes are in a great position after winning the national championship and wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is one of the most exciting players returning to the program. The 19-year-old star is coming off an incredible season and is lining up to be one of the top wide receiver talents that still is not draft eligible.
Smith has been one of the most talked-about college football players in quite some time and has undergone a physical transformation that will make NFL scouts look even harder at him going forward. Let’s take a deeper dive into what he did and how it can affect him on the field for the Buckeyes.
Jeremiah Smith’s Incredible Body Transformation
In a recent interview with The Athletic, Smith explained what he has done this offseason to change his body and make him an even better wide receiver this season than he was in his eye-popping freshman season.
“I changed my eating habits – just eating healthy food, salmon, rice with vegetables. I’m at 225 pounds now. I was at 205 or 208 when I got there. Body fat, I think I’m second lowest on the team. I just did 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench and ran 22 (miles per hour) in a game.”
It is difficult to imagine how the addition of 20 pounds of muscle has not slowed him down one bit. However, this should make him a lot more durable in games and absorb hits that can both get more yards as well as keep him on the field.
Jeremiah Smith has showcased a lot to be excited about in his freshman season as he was able to record 76 receptions for 1,315 yards (17.3 yards per catch) with 15 receiving touchdowns while also adding six carries for 47 yards (7.8 yards per attempt) with a rushing touchdown for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Now with the chance to repeat as national champions, there is a lot of expectations on Smith and he will be guarded heavily to throw off the Buckeyes’ passing game. It will be interesting to see how he does as a true top target and an inexperienced quarterback in Julian Sayin throwing him the football.
