Ohio State is coming off a brutal loss to the Texas Longhorns, collapsing late to allow 21 unanswered fourth-quarter points in a 24-23 defeat. But if there's one silver lining, it's that, even in a loss, Jeremiah Smith proved why he's the No. 1 wide receiver in the sport. He hauled in eight catches for 164 yards and one touchdown, averaging 20.5 yards per catch.
Across two games, he already ranks fifth in the country in receiving yards (315), and half of them came against the No. 1 team in college football. Now, he's also on the verge of breaking multiple Ohio State records. Heading into Week 3, he sits just 26 yards away from the all-time receiving yards record, 27 catches away from the all-time receptions record, and six touchdowns away from becoming the all-time leader in receiving scores.
More news: UNC Turns to Another Belichick After Bombshell Investigation Smith was the top-rated prospect in the 2024 class before committing to Ohio State, and he immediately lived up to the hype. As a true freshman in 2024, he hauled in 76 catches for 1,315 yards (fourth-most in college football) and 15 touchdowns, averaging 17.3 yards per catch. He won Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Receiver of the Year, and first-team All-American honors, while helping lead the Buckeyes to a national championship.
Last season, he posted 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns on 87 catches, leading the Big Ten in yards for a second straight season and earning unanimous All-American honors. This season, he's on pace to surpass all of those totals and is only a few games away from cementing his legacy as the greatest wide receiver in Ohio State history. More news: College Football Star Still Sidelined by Serious Injury, No Timetable Yet More news: NFL Shuts Door on 2 Players After Failed Return to College Football The 26 yards for Smith should come easy, but he probably won't catch 27 balls or score six touchdowns against Kent State on Saturday, though the latter somehow doesn't feel impossible.
There's a real chance, though, that he holds all three receiving records after Ohio State's clash with Illinois the following week. Regardless, it's only a matter of time before he puts his name at the top of the list, ahead of program legends like Cris Carter, Michael Jenkins, Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Chris Olave.
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