Jeremiah Smith is already the Big Ten’s best receiver.
The Ohio State wide receiver was named Tuesday as both the Big Ten Receiver of the Year and Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He becomes the second player to win both awards in the same year, joining Rondale Moore, who won both awards for Purdue in 2018.
to Jeremiah Smith, the 2024 Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year! #B1GFootball x @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/E91li2aWMO
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 3, 2024
to Jeremiah Smith, the 2024 Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year! #B1GFootball x @OhioStateFB pic.twitter.com/cP0iOCLp4w
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) December 3, 2024
Smith is Ohio State’s third straight winner of Big Ten Receiver of the Year honors. Marvin Harrison Jr. won the award in both 2022 and 2023.
He’s the 11th Buckeye to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors and the first since C.J. Stroud in 2021.
| Year | Pos | Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | RB | ROBERT SMITH |
| 1992 | OT | KOREY STRINGER |
| 1994 | OT | ORLANDO PACE |
| 1996 | LB | ANDY KATZENMOYER |
| 2002 | RB | MAURICE CLARETT |
| 2008 | QB | TERRELLE PRYOR |
| 2011 | QB | BRAXTON MILLER |
| 2014 | QB | J.T. BARRETT |
| 2016 | RB | MIKE WEBER |
| 2021 | QB | C.J. STROUD |
| 2024 | WR | JEREMIAH SMITH |
Smith wins both awards after shattering Ohio State’s freshman records for a wide receiver, catching 57 passes for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns. The previous records of 51 catches for 648 yards and eight touchdowns had all stood for 40 yards after Cris Carter set them in 1984.
If Smith can top 66 receiving yards in the postseason, he’ll become the first Ohio State freshman and just the 10th Buckeye all-time to top 1,000 receiving yards in a season. He’s already one of just 17 Buckeyes to score 10 receiving touchdowns in one year.
