Jeremiah Smith had received plenty of interest from other schools, but eventually it was Ohio State who the five-star wide receiver decided upon. Smith's been committed to the Buckeyes since December of 2022.
Ryan Day, who played a large role in recruiting Smith alongside the rest of the Buckeyes staff, was visibly relieved when he was informed of the commitment.
Smith entered the day rated as the top player in the 2024 class, and the best player at his position. He is the logical heir-apparent to Marvin Harrison Jr., who seems likely to leave for the NFL Draft this coming April.
Ohio State's ability to develop wide receivers -- much of which falls on assistant coach Brian Hartline -- was a selling point for Smith. From Chris Olave to Garrett Wilson to Jaxson Smith-Njiba to Harrison Jr., the Buckeyes have the numbers to back up their assertion as WRU.
Why was Ryan Day worried Jeremiah Smith would flip from Ohio State?
Despite all of these selling points, a school far closer to home made a late push for Smith in the Miami Hurricanes. Yes, the U is far from it once was, but Mario Cristobal and Co. aim to rebuild the Canes program brick by brick. So far, it's been a mixed bag, but adding a player of Smith's talents would have been useful, to say the least.
Jeremiah is the cousin of NFL QB Geno Smith, and has been compared to the likes of Julio Jones by 247sports Andrew Ivins:
"An absolute bully at the catch point that will give defenses fits given the rare combination of his size, speed, and hands. Wasn't always the biggest kid, but owns a more college-ready frame at roughly 6-foot-3, 195 pounds, and is likely only going to add more mass in the coming years as he has large features," Ivins wrote.
Ohio State did lose one wide receiver commit on the day in Jeremiah McClellan, but more than made up for it with Smith's choice.