It's probably not a reach to say there's not a college football program in the country that wouldn't want Jeremiah Smith in their wide receiver room. The Ohio State Buckeyes certainly enjoyed it as the true freshman was a star en route to a national championship, which is where Smith wants to remain. Of course, other programs in the semi-lawless NIL and transfer portal era in the sport are trying to change that.
We've heard reports this offseason that Smith has already been offered something in the $4.5 million range to enter the transfer portal. Nothing has come of that, to be sure, but it's clear that a team that has a deep NIL war chest is willing to spend on the best receiver in college football.
For Smith's part, we haven't heard much from the Ohio State star but, when one Buckeyes fan said that the wide receiver and his family were to loyal to flip on the program like that, he responded simply with the "100" emoji, seemingly indicating he's not going anywhere.
— Jeremiah Smith (@Jermiah_Smith1) January 24, 2025
But money talks. We know this. And if the offers keep coming for Jeremiah Smith, there might be a godfather offer in there that he simply can't reasonably afford to turn down. If that were to happen — which I want to again clarify to Ohio State fans that all seems good right now — then these four programs would be the most likely destinations for the all-world receiver.
4. Oregon Ducks
There are few programs in college football as aggressive in both the transfer portal and on the recruiting trail as Dan Lanning's Oregon Ducks. Whether it's been Bo Nix, Dillon Gabriel, Evan Stewart or a litany of others, getting the top talent to Eugene by any means necessary has clearly been a goal in the building for the Ducks.
Now, as Oregon faces a bit of uncertainty going into the 2025 season, the wide receiver room could use some attention. The loss of Tez Johnson shouldn't be understated but, more importantly, the Ducks will be breaking in a far less experienced quarterback that what they've had the past two years in Nix and Gabriel as former 5-star recruit Dante Moore is expected to get the reins next.
Adding someone like Smith to the receiver room could help make that transition all the smoother. And with the investment from Phil Knight and Nike behind the Oregon program, we know that the Ducks would have the money to make the godfather offer that would be necessary to even get Smith to consider budging.
3. Florida Gators
For so much of the 2024 season, the conversation about the Florida Gators centralized on Billy Napier's future and, bluntly, whether or not the head coach had one in Gainesville. After a stellar conclusion to the year for this team and the hope that young quarterback DJ Lagway inspired, though, Napier is not only no longer on the hot seat but Florida is already being tabbed a sleeper for the 2025 campaign.
While Smith may not be from Gainesville, he is from the state of Florida. Napier and the Gators have turned the tides quickly already this offseason with a bang-up job in the portal and in recruiting, which is absolutely huge for Florida taking a step forward. Playing with Lagway is attractive given his talent and even untapped potential but, in the case of Smith, a return closer to home to do so could make it more attractive.
Now that Florida has a reason to believe in Napier after weathering last year's gauntlet, adding Smith to pair with Lagway is as all-in as you could possibly get. The head coach and program should have the full NIL buy-in behind them and conceivably are in the mix to make such a lucrative offer to a player of Smith's caliber.
2. Miami Hurricanes
As mentioned, Jeremiah Smith is from Florida but not Gainesville. Instead, he's from the Miami area inititally, so it only stands to reason that Mario Cristobal and the Miami Hurricanes would be interested in cutting the check to get the wide receiver to The U.
With Cam Ward last year and now Carson Beck going into 2025, Miami is not afraid at all about trying to get the hired gun to help elevate the roster. That has never been just limited to quarterback but, in this offseason, it could make sense if they want an immediate impact wide receiver. Ward and Xavier Restrepo had an elite rapport but there aren't a ton of highly proven options behind the now-departing receiver that Beck knows without question that he can bank on in the passing game.
Smith would undeniably change that math for the new Miami quarterback. With the allure of returning closer to home and the fact that the Canes have never been anything close to cheap if it's the right move they think they should make, Miami will continue to be brought up in high regard for as long as there is any kind of transfer portal buzz around the Ohio State star wideout.
1. Texas Longhorns
Quietly, there might not be a more lucrative NIL collective than the one in Austin for the Texas Longhorns. While so much was made about the idea of Ohio State spending "$20 million" to build the roster that led to a national title this past season, some reports have indicated that Steve Sarkisian's team and program may have actually been even a bit more expensive than that.
What's made Texas so impressive and put them in the perennial CFP contender list, though, is that the Longhorns use the transfer portal expensively but to plug obvious holes with elite talent while recruiting at the highest level too. If they could land Smith, that would be the perfect example. Ryan Wingo is stepping into a much bigger role with Matthew Golden and Isaiah Bond going, but pairing the rising sophomore with Arch Manning would even upgrade from last year's group while giving the less-experienced Arch a huge cushion in the offense.
Whenever there's even a remote chance of a top-tier talent entering the transfer portal, Texas tends to be the first team that comes to mind for me. And in this case, that's not changing. If there's one team in the country with the situation and funds to lure Jeremiah Smith away from Ohio State, look no further than the Longhorns.