Ohio States Jeremiah Smith

Great Article on Ohio States Jeremiah Smith from the New York Times.

Ohio State’s superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith: ‘I’m not finished’ Manny Navarro 48 July 1, 2025Updated 8:23 am EDT FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Shedeur Sanders, Cam Newton, Robert Griffin III and Geno Smith — a recent NFL Draft pick, a former NFL MVP, a Heisman Trophy winner and the starting quarterback for the Las Vegas Raiders — were among the most recognizable faces at the OT7 Playoffs this past weekend at St. Thomas Aquinas High. Advertisement And yet, there’s little doubt who was the hottest star among the stars. It was Jeremiah Smith, the 19-year-old Ohio State receiver who shares the cover of the soon-to-be-released EA Sports College Football 26 video game. The moment the 6-foot-3, 225-pound All-American and national champion stepped out of a black Lamborghini — rented for the weekend — he was immersed by fans eager to take selfies and simply be in his presence. As one fan noted before he snapped a photo with Smith, “It’s not often you get a chance to see a football player in person with a 99 rating in a video game.” “This is all a blessing,” said Smith, who grew up in South Florida and became the No. 1 high school recruit in the country at Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna Preparatory School. “The season I had last year was a blessing. I just won a national championship, contributed to a top team. I mean, all of this has been surreal. I’m just soaking it all in, but I’m not finished.” The truth is, there probably isn’t a brighter young star in the college game right now than Smith, a rising sophomore who is third in betting odds behind Texas quarterback Arch Manning and LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier to win the 2026 Heisman Trophy. Over 16 games in his debut season, he caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns and won MVP honors at the Rose Bowl. At times, he made it look too easy — far easier than his father expected. “He did exceed expectations I had,” Chris Smith said. “My expectations were just going to school, getting in when he can, earning his steps as a freshman. I didn’t know he was going to take over.” Jeremiah Smith averaged 17.3 yards per catch as a freshman. (Adam Cairns / Imagn Images) How does it feel to hear people say his son is the best player in college football? “It’s surreal, but we take it with a grain of salt,” he said. “There’s more football to play. I always tell him never to get big-headed. Just keep working. You can be up top one day and down the next. Stay even keel.” Advertisement That can be a challenge with all the attention and business opportunities Smith receives. Companies have not stopped lining up to sign the Buckeye to be a brand ambassador. He attended the OT7 Playoffs — broadcast by NFL Network — in part to meet with brand reps and take photos. Nike, which has a $252 million partnership with Ohio State, pushed hard to sign Smith, but he inked a deal with Adidas last week. Top NCAAF Stories From the SEC to the Ivy League: QB Dante Reno returns home to play for his dad at Yale Recruiting reset: Taking stock of blue-chip quarterbacks in Class of 2026 Is Georgia Tech getting good again at just the right time? “I’ve been wearing Adidas since I was a young kid, 11, 10 years old,” Smith said. “To be a part of the brand is something special.” Smith humbly admitted he’s lost count of how many companies have hired him to promote their products. But his dad, who has owned a cleaning and moving company in South Florida since 2015, was able to help out. The list includes American Eagle Outfitters, Battle Sports, DSW, Red Bull, Lululemon and Chipotle. Smith said he does all of his photo shoots for those companies when he’s not in school. So, what was the hardest part of Smith’s first year in college? “Learning that playbook,” he said. “Coming in, they threw everything at me so fast. We had installs every week. Toward the end of the year is when everything started to slow down for me.” Ohio State’s 2024 season was a roller coaster. The regular season ended with a deflating fourth consecutive loss to rival Michigan. But the Buckeyes and Smith followed up with a magical run through the expanded College Football Playoff, crushing Tennessee and Oregon before crossing the finishing line with victories over Texas and Notre Dame. Smith tweaked his hip flexor in the win over Tennessee but responded the following week with his best game (seven catches, 187 yards, two touchdowns) in the Rose Bowl win over top-seeded Oregon. Despite winning the title, Smith has not gotten over the loss to Michigan. Advertisement “I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith said. “In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs. But I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.” Ohio State and Texas — the favorites to win the 2026 national championship — open the season against each other in Columbus on Aug. 30. The Buckeyes had 14 players drafted off the national championship team, including quarterback Will Howard, receiver Emeka Egbuka and running backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson. With so many veterans gone from the offense, Smith said he’ll be more comfortable taking on a more vocal role in the locker room in his second season. As for Ohio State’s new starting quarterback, Julian Sayin, Smith said he’s fully confident the redshirt freshman is ready to ascend into the spotlight. “That arm is different,” Smith said. “He can make any and every throw. Just a smart quarterback. Like me, he’s a little quiet. But he’s starting to come out of (his) shell. He’s definitely going to be a guy. It’s going to be scary for opponents.” Returning home to South Florida to be around friends and family is something Smith always looks forward to. But he doesn’t regret his decision to leave home for college. “People always joke around and say you should’ve stayed home, played for Miami and put on for my city,” Smith said. “But deep inside, I know they’re happy for me at the end of the day. No regrets.” His parents and younger brother, Angelo, a three-star safety in the 2027 cycle, made it to all 16 Ohio State games last year, often taking early Saturday morning flights to get to those Big Noon Kickoff games. Advertisement Smith has his own apartment in Columbus and a private chef who makes all of his meals. He likes to keep to himself, but when he does go out, Smith drives his Mercedes-AMG GLE around town. For the most part, though, Smith said, he plays video games on his PS5 when he isn’t studying, training or practicing. His focus is always on the future. “I changed my eating habits — just eating healthy food, salmon, rice with vegetables,” Smith said. “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.” There’s little doubt NFL teams can’t wait to get their hands on him. Smith, though, said he’s having a great time in college and is in no rush to get to the NFL — even if some believe he would have been a top-10 pick this year if eligible. He said he’s invested most of the NIL money he’s made to this point. When he does spend, it’s mostly on clothes and shoes. “He’s been very responsible,” Chris Smith said. “He still wanted things. He’s still a kid. But in all honesty, he’s done more good with his money than bad. Hopefully, if God keeps blessing him, pouring in his cup, he can pour in other cups.” Smith’s major at Ohio State is Sports Industry. He wants to get into coaching when his playing career is over. But he’s planning on that being a long time from now. “I still have a lot of work to do,” Smith said. “I’ve got two, three more years left of college. I’ve still got to go to the pros — hopefully by the grace of God. I’ve just got to keep it going. Just because I had one great year, I can’t get comfortable and depend on that. I want to do this year in and year out.” What about winning the Heisman? “I’m just trying to win another natty — that’s what I’m focused on,” Smith said. “All the other individual accolades will come after that.” (Top photo: Manny Navarro / The Athletic