Tag: Jeremiah Smith

Jeremiah Smith earns eye-popping grade from PFF for Week 11 play

Jeremiah Smith, who set the Ohio State football record for freshman touchdowns Saturday, had the highest PFF grade of any true freshman.

Jeremiah Smith has emerged as one of the best players in the country and surely one of the best receivers in college football. He’s been a key target for Will Howard this season.

The top freshman in the Class of 2024 per 247Sports, Smith was a star before he even stepped on campus in Columbus, and with that, he had ultra-high expectations put on him.

He has exceeded those expectations as he now has the record for the Ohio State Buckeyes’ most receiving touchdowns, yards, and receptions by a freshman.

Setting the first and third record from above in the Buckeyes 45-0 win over Purdue, a team that has yet to win a Big Ten game, Smith was graded as the top true freshman wide receiver by Pro Football Focus.

Smith went for six receptions and 87 yards, hauling in a score as well. He has 45 receptions, 765 receiving yards and a conference-high nine touchdowns on the season.

With two seasons in college still remaining after this one, there’s no doubt more records will be plastered with the name Jeremiah Smith before he’s set to join the NFL.

Ryan Day reacts to Jeremiah Smith’s record-breaking freshman season

Ryan Day was on the sideline as Jeremiah Smith broke the freshman receiving touchdowns record. Here’s what he had to say about it.

Jeremiah Smith is a generational talent, and Ohio State football knew it had something special before the season even began. Now, there’s no reason to think many expected Smith to explode the way he has.

At a university that has developed some of the NFL’s best receivers like Marvin Harrison Jr., Michael Thomas and Garrett Wilson, Smith is set to be next, but there might be reason to believe he could be the best of the bunch.

Smith had the freshman receiving yards record coming into the Buckeyes’ battle with the Purdue Boilermakers this past weekend. In the 45-0 throttling, Smith set two more records, for receiving yards and receptions.

Here’s what head coach Ryan Day had to say about his performance throughout the season.

“He’s getting stronger. He’s getting more experience. He’s understanding of coverages and different things. Great to see him break a record,” Day said via ClutchPoints’ Jordan Llanes.

Here’s the catch in which Smith broke the record.

Smith went for six receptions for 87 yards and a touchdown in the home win. On the season, he had 45 receptions, 765 receiving yards and nine touchdowns. He also has a rushing touchdown as well.

That said, both fans and Day expect more to come from the young rising star.

Ohio State football star named freshman of the year semifinalist

Ohio State football star named freshman of the year semifinalist #GoBucks

Ohio State football is squarely in the College Football Playoff conversation and freshman phenom, Jeremiah Smith, is a big reason why. The former five-star prospect arrived in Columbus, Ohio as one of the most hyped freshman in history and has lived up to that billing so far.

Smith was recently announced as a Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year semifinalist. The award is decided by the Maxwell Football Club and handed out annually.

The Florida product has been on a tear already breaking the Ohio State freshman record for receiving yards with 678, which was previously held by Hall of Famer, Cris Carter, who has held the record since 1984. He’s also already tied the school’s freshman record for receiving touchdowns with eight in just eight games, which is also held by Carter.

The freshman school record for receptions sits at 41 by you guessed it, Carter, but with Smith already hauling in 39 passes, that record is basically his as well.

Jeremiah Smith breaks Ohio State football record in win over Penn State

Ohio State football came out on top in Happy Valley Saturday, and Jeremiah Smith broke a program record in the victory.

Ohio State football knew it got something special when Jeremiah Smith stepped on campus.

The No. 1 overall prospect for the Class of 2024, Smith was a star in the making, and he’s still budding into one of the most talented freshmen the Buckeyes have ever had.

Ohio State is coming off its biggest win of the season, a 20-13 victory in Happy Valley against Penn State. In front of a record crowd at Beaver Stadium, Smith went for four receptions, and that was enough to set a school record.

“In doing so, he broke the school record for most receiving yards ever by a freshman surpassing Cris Carter’s 648 yards set in 1984,” Stephen Means of Cleveland.com wrote.

Smith led the game with 55 receiving yards, catching four of Will Howard’s 16 completed passes. While he was void of a score, Smith’s presence and impact on the offense more than made up for that.

As a freshman, Smith is playing at a high level and has 678 receiving yards on the season on 39 receptions. He has eight touchdowns as well, often being targeted in the red zone by Howard.

Expect much more from Smith as the Buckeyes finish out the regular season in the upcoming month.

WATCH: Jeremiah Smith score long touchdown

WATCH: Jeremiah Smith score long touchdown #GoBucks

Ohio State football is currently rolling against the Nebraska Cornhuskers and leads its Big Ten foe 14-3. There is still over eight minutes left in the first half, but the Buckeyes seem to be moving and grooving on the offensive side of the football as evidenced by the most recent long touchdown pass from Ohio State quarterback, Will Howard to freshman phenom receiver, Jeremiah Smith.

Howard connected with Smith on a 60-yard touchdown pass, which makes Howard’s current start line an impressive seven completions on all seven attempts for 141 yards and two touchdowns.

That reception puts Smith over Carnell Tate for leading receiver on the day with just two receptions for 65 yards and a touchdown. OSU looks really impressive through the air and it would be safe to expect it to keep exploiting this undermanned Nebraska defensive backfield.

Ohio State is favored to win this contest by more than three touchdowns and still has a long way to go to achieve that large point difference.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Josh Keatley on X.

Ohio State football star receives massive bump in ‘College Football 25’

Ohio State football star receives massive bump in College Football 25 #GoBucks

Ohio State football will be kicking off against the Nebraska Cornhuskers at Noon on Saturday and will hope to show off some defensive improvement after a disappointing loss to the Oregon Ducks. On the virtual gridiron, however, we don’t need to wait until Saturday to see improvements as the latest update for EA Sports’ “College Football 25” gave a large ratings boost to one Buckeye superstar.

Jeremiah Smith has been setting the college world on fire and EA Sports’ has apparently noticed as he is now rated at 90 overall, which is an increase of six total points. Few would argue against this bump because the freshman phenom receiver has already tallied 32 receptions for 553 yards and seven touchdowns.

Offensive tackle, Josh Simmons, also received a ratings boost of five to make his new overall 90. Edge rusher, Jack Sawyer  and interior offensive lineman, Donovan Jackson, received moderate bumps increasing their ratings by one. Sawyer is now a 90 overall and Jackson sits at 92.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Josh Keatley on X.

Ohio State receiver added to Biletnikoff Award watch list

Could a freshman win this award? #GoBucks

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is having an incredible freshman season. The 18-year-old has already broken records in just six games and is well on his way to breaking several more this season. The recognition is starting to catch up with the performance as Smith has been named to the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

The Biletnikoff Award is handed out to the best wide receiver in college football each year. Last year, Marvin Harrison Jr. took home the prize, only the second Buckeye ever and the first to do so since 1995 when Terry Glenn earned the honor. Could a freshman become the third OSU star to win the award?

Smith’s numbers certainly put him in the conversation. The Ohio State wideout is in the Top 20 in receiving yards with 553 and is tied for fifth with seven touchdown receptions. He also has a rushing touchdown to add to his resume.

Smith became the first player in program history to catch a touchdown in each of his first six games. He is well on pace to smash Cris Carter’s Ohio State freshman receiving records of 41 receptions, 648 receiving yards, and eight touchdowns all set in Carter’s freshman season of 1984.

A freshman winning the Biletnikoff Award is a long shot, but it’s nice to see Smith getting some recognition for his performance on the field.

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. 

Joel Klatt baffled by detrimental pass interference call on Jeremiah Smith

Ohio State football wasn’t able to quite make the comeback Saturday after a baffling pass interference call on Jeremiah Smith.

The Ohio State Buckeyes were marching down the first aggressively on their final drive of the game in a disappointing 32-31 loss against the now-No. 2 Oregon Ducks Saturday.

The Buckeyes managed to get down to the Oregon 28 with ease, having 28 seconds left in the game and trailing by one. Ohio State’s star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was then called for a pass interference call that forced the Buckeyes into 2nd & 25.

Let’s just say even Joel Klatt isn’t so sure about the call and was baffled that the refs actually threw the flag. Here’s his analysis of the play along with several replays.

There’s one pivotal thing to note about what Klatt said. He said that the Buckeyes receiver made contact which Smith certainly did and no one is denying that.

But, it was about the way the entire game had been called up until that point.

It was a physical game, and Smith made a physical play. This isn’t the only reason the Buckeyes lost, but it certainly didn’t help their cause as it put them outside of field goal range with 22 seconds on the clock.

Ohio State ended up losing. It still has its dynasty in its own hands and has both Penn State on the road and Michigan at home to improve its resume.

Ohio State football has just one top-25 player in new rankings release

Ohio State football is one of the most well-known names in college athletics, but it has just one top-25 player in ESPN’s recent rankings.

Ohio State football, despite losing to Oregon this past weekend, is still a top-ten team in the country.

The Buckeyes have just one loss through the first half of the season, and they have ample time and opportunity to prove themselves as well since Michigan, Indiana, and Penn State are all on the horizon and sit as top-25 teams.

That said, through the first couple of months, the college football landscape has seen a few stars rise. ESPN recently released a top-25 ranking of the best college football players, and Bill Connelly wrote on the lone Buckeye, Jeremiah Smith, to crack the list.

Smith came in at No. 11.

“It is almost impossible to live up to the hype that Jeremiah Smith received heading into his first collegiate season. We heard plenty of, ‘He might already be Ohio State’s best receiver!’ rumbles in the spring about Smith, the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2024 class. And while spring buzz seems like it’s wrong about 98% of the time, damned if it wasn’t almost underselling Smith’s capabilities. Through six games, Smith has caught 32 passes for 553 yards and seven touchdowns; through the first six games of 2023, Marvin Harrison Jr. had 31 catches for 604 yards and five scores. Ohio State lost the No. 4 pick in the 2024 NFL draft, and a freshman is matching his production. That’s not supposed to happen,” Connelly wrote.

Atop the list is Boise State running back, Ashton Jeanty, who has 17 touchdowns on the season. He was preseason ranked No. 25, so Jeanty has certainly blossomed this season.

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon’s quarterback, along with Derrick Harmon, an Oregon defensive lineman, are the only players in the Big Ten to crack the top ten. Gabriel came in at No. 5 with Harmon at No. 10.

One could argue that fans should see a few more Buckeyes, most notably Quinshon Judkins or Caleb Downs, both of which have played well this season. However, Smith has been at another level above those two and certainly deserves the spot he has.

Jeremiah Smith believes he and Ryan Williams are two best receivers in college

Jeremiah Smith is receiving high praise after an electric start to 2024, and he already believes he’s among the top-2 college receivers.

Ohio State football, before it even took the field for its first game of the 2024 season, knew it had something special on its hands with wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who was the top recruit in the Class of 2024 per 247Sports.

Smith has had numerous awing plays throughout the first few months of the season.

From mind-blowing one-handed snags to breakneck speed, Smith has been everything fans hoped he would be, and they will still get a few more seasons of the star receiver, who had big shoes to fill after Marvin Harrison Jr. left for the NFL.

Smith touched on who else he might think is among the best collegiate receivers in the country, and he mentioned Alabama’s Ryan Williams. Here’s what Smith said via CBS Sports’ Richard Johnson.

“When we got on the bus, they were still playing, so when I got on the bus he made that big catch, I was like ‘woah, yeah, he’s different.’ I just feel like we’re the best receivers in the country right now as freshmen,” Smith said.

Smith went 100 receiving yards on nine receptions and a touchdown in the Buckeyes matchup against the now-No. 2 Oregon Ducks Saturday. Both Smith and Williams are special, and it would be a treat if fans get to see them battle in the College Football Playoffs.