Ohio State will kick off its season against Akron on Saturday, August 31st, and many fans will see familiar faces take the field. One they will not recognize is a true freshman wide receiver, Jeremiah Smith.
Smith is from Opa Locka, Florida, and was ranked as the number one overall player in the 2024 class, according to 247sports.com. The true freshman has a chance to start from day one for the Buckeyes since last year’s starting wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. went to the NFL and Julian Fleming transferred to Penn State.
Ohio State’s receiver room is less experienced than in years past. Emeka Egbuka is the only player who has played a significant role in this offense, and young guys like Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss will try to step up along with Smith.
Smith has a chance to one day be the best wide receiver ever to wear the scarlet and gray, and one of his current teammates was blown away by him the first time he saw him.
Jack Sawyer Was Impressed With His New Ohio State Teammate
Image by USA Today
Ohio State’s star defensive end, Jack Sawyer, was one of the many names who came back to school this season instead of going to the NFL, and he’s probably delighted he stayed because he gets to play alongside Jeremiah Smith.
During Big Ten Media Days on Tuesday, Sawyer brought up his first impression of Smith and said, ” I was like, Holy bleep, this kid’s good.”
Jack Sawyer’s first impression of Jeremiah Smith? 👀 pic.twitter.com/dgNivojXwR
— Eleven Warriors (@11W) July 23, 2024
Ohio State’s offense will have an adjustment period early in the season. They will be working with transfer quarterback Will Howard from Kansas State, who has a lot of experience as a starter but has never started for the Buckeyes, so he will need some work. They also have a new offensive coordinator in Chip Kelly, so it might take a while for them to take off.
Smith might not have a significant role at the start of the season since they will be working on many different things, but he is expected to pop off sometime in the middle of the year and be a major contributor down the stretch.
