When Denzel Burke was asked about Jeremiah Smith before the Cotton Bowl, Ohio State’s star cornerback wanted to reserve judgment on the No. 1-ranked prospect until he actually practiced against Smith.
“I gotta see bro in person. All that high school stuff is cool, but when you got an elite corner lining across your face, let me see what you can do,” Burke said. “I heard he’s a five-star … let’s line up and we’ll find out.”
It took only two practices for Burke to become convinced Smith is the real deal.
“Watch out for him,” Burke said after Ohio State’s second practice of the spring on Thursday. “This might be a big statement, but just the way he handles himself and the way he moves and the potential he has, I feel like he might be the next best receiver to come through here. And I'm really excited to see what he can do. The sky's the limit for him.”
As the top-ranked prospect in the entire recruiting class, Smith begins his Ohio State career with uncommon expectations. While most Ohio State freshmen don’t play a ton in year one – which will likely be especially true this year with how many experienced veterans the Buckeyes have – Smith is expected to make an instant impact for the Buckeyes’ 2024 offense and become a star in short order.
Ohio State coaches and players have only added fuel to the hype train with everything they’ve said about Smith in his first two months in Columbus.
“He's jumped right in. You guys have seen the talent. The talent's there,” Ryan Day said in February. “I think the thing that's been most impressive to me so far is his discipline that he's already built in his life. And then the skill of playing the position at such a young age as well. And (wide receivers coach Brian Hartline) and everybody will continue to build on that and grow on that. But he's had a great approach so far. So certainly expecting big things from him.”
“This might be a big statement, but just the way he handles himself and the way he moves and the potential he has, I feel like he might be the next best receiver to come through here.”– Denzel Burke on Jeremiah Smith
Emeka Egbuka, the leader of Ohio State’s receiver room this year as its only returning starter, says Smith is doing all the right things to give himself a chance to play a major role right away.
“One of the quietest dudes I've ever met. Not a man of too many words. But he came in and he put his head down and he worked,” Egbuka said last week before the Buckeyes’ first practice. “I say this every time to freshmen who come in, but the only thing you have to do as a freshman is just shut up and listen. All you have to do is just shut up, put your head down and work. And that's something he understands.”
Like Burke, Egbuka said “the sky’s the limit” for Smith.
“I'm not gonna say that he's starting as a freshman, because that's not for the far future. But if he continues his hard work and his diligence and his craft and he's able to learn the offense, the sky's the limit for him,” Egbuka said.
Egbuka, fellow wide receiver Carnell Tate and quarterbacks Devin Brown and Will Howard all used the same word in recent interviews to describe Smith, who looks far more physically developed than the typical early enrollee at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds: “Freak.”
“He's a freak. He's gonna be next level,” Brown said last week. “I mean, that guy handles things the right way, does everything right in the weight room. I was throwing with him yesterday, and like every time I throw with him, it's like, ‘Geez, this kid's a stud.’
“He's just super smooth, super athletic. He's a big kid … He could snag it literally anywhere. He was making a couple one-handers yesterday. I was like, this kid's just freaky.”
“There's nothing he really can't do. He runs fast. He jumps high. He's strong. He's a natural pass catcher,” Egbuka said.
Howard also described Smith as a “dude” and a “specimen.”
“I mean, that dude is a freak show,” Howard said in January. “I'm excited to see him out on the field and in live action. It'll be fun.”
Even former Ohio State wide receivers are expressing their belief that Smith will be the next star at their position. Michael Thomas sent out a tweet last week in which he proclaimed Smith will be “the next great one,” and that tweet was promptly reposted by reigning Biletnikoff Award winner Marvin Harrison Jr.
The next Great One 100% https://t.co/a1lyrGj9ho
— Michael Thomas (@Cantguardmike) March 5, 2024
Smith will have to continue working hard throughout the offseason if he’s going to be ready to live up to the hype this fall. Ohio State’s coaches already know he has the talent to be a special player; what they’ll be evaluating the rest of this spring and into the summer is how consistently Smith does the little things the way he’s supposed to.
“As much talent as we have, it's going to be the no-talent issues that actually help us reach our goals,” Day said last week when asked about Ohio State’s overall team talent. “Once we get on the field, that's what we focus on. It isn't seeing Jeremiah run a go ball. Like, that's great. But it's the discipline of knowing what to do, it's the focus, it's running to the ball, it’s effort, it’s energy, it's all the things that again, take no talent. So that's going to be the focus. It's not about the talent anymore. That was about the last couple months. Now we need to acquire the skill and discipline it's going to take to go reach our goals, and that's what spring’s all about.”
Based on what everyone is saying about Smith so far, though, he just needs to keep doing what he’s been doing to earn his coaches’ and teammates’ trust.
“He's very coachable,” Egbuka said. “I do my best to uplift the young guys and give them pointers here and there, and he's always willing to listen. He always puts his best foot forward every single day. He hates to lose. He's a competitor, which is huge, especially in Zone 6. So I think he has a bright future here.”
