5 five-star freshmen who will have the biggest impact in 2024
By John Buhler
4. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith (No. 1 overall, Opa Locka, FL)
Jeremiah Smith is the top overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting cycle. The five-star wide receiver from Florida decided to go play for arguably the best wide receivers coach in the country in Brian Hartline at Ohio State. This is a place where wide receivers go to shine and become first-round draft prospects, no matter how much they play in the Scarlet and Grey. I love this signing for the Buckeyes.
Right now, Ohio State is on a shortlist of teams that can realistically win a national championship next year. The Buckeyes are the favorites to come out of the Big Ten to probably face Georgia out of the SEC in ... Atlanta! God, wouldn't that be something? The site of the infamous Peach Bowl all over again. Regardless, I love this addition for Ohio State long-term, but I only sort of like it for this season.
This has everything to do with the wide receiving room being incredibly deep in Columbus, as well as Chip Kelly taking over as offensive coordinator. I expected the Ohio State offensive attack to be incredibly ground-centric this fall anyway with TreVeyon Henderson returning, as well as Will Howard and Quinshon Judkins arriving by way of the portal. A coordinator change certainly guarantees that.
I expect that Smith will be in the middle of everything, but he is not going to be a featured star now.