Ryan Day needed only one word to answer a question about whether Jeremiah Smith would be on the field at the beginning of Saturday’s season opener against Akron.
“Yes,” Day replied succinctly.
While Day didn’t outright say who Ohio State’s starting wide receivers will be on Saturday, his response made clear what was already expected for Smith. The No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 recruiting class, Smith will be an immediate starter for the Buckeyes as a true freshman.
Assuming Smith is in fact on the field for the first snap at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, he’ll become the first true freshman to start a season opener for Ohio State since Denzel Burke started his first game as a Buckeye against Minnesota in 2021.
It’s no surprise that Smith is in line to start immediately as he has received nothing but praise from Day and the rest of Ohio State’s coaches since he arrived on campus in January. He broke the record for the fastest freshman ever to lose his black stripe and was the first true freshman ever to earn Iron Buckeye honors since Urban Meyer and Mickey Marotti started both traditions at Ohio State in 2012.
Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate are expected to join Smith in the starting lineup, but Day said Brandon Inniss is “right there” with those three and that all four of those wide receivers will see considerable playing time.
