While Ryan Day said the 6-foot-3, 215-pound receiver is “bigger, faster and stronger” this year, that seems like a requisite summation of about 95% of most football players from peewee on up through the college ranks.
And while mental development is also expected from year one to year two in college, Smith seemed to arrive at Ohio State last winter at an advanced level there, too.
That was why Day and receivers coach Brian Hartline seemed to have little qualms about saying he was a likely Day 1 starter and did little to squash the preseason hype this time a year ago.
Not only did Smith bring with him from South Florida the immense physical gifts that made him the No. 1 recruit in the nation for the class of 2024, he also had a maturity beyond his years.
So now what?
“I feel like I went into the film room and worked to get a better understanding of the game and becoming a student of the game,” Smith told reporters during Big Ten Media Days in Las Vegas on Tuesday. “I’ve been having great conversations with Coach Hartline. That’s what he wanted me to improve on, getting a better understanding of the game.”
He said he felt like he had a solid understanding of defensive coverages last year, but now that knowledge has increased.
“So I feel I’m going to be able to play faster than I did last year,” Smith said. “Last year, I wasn’t really playing as fast as I want to. But this year, I know exactly what’s going on.”
Smith finished the season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, all marks that broke Ohio State freshman records set by Middletown High School grad Cris Carter in 1984.
The Big Ten Receiver and Freshman of the Year, Smith made multiple All-America teams and was the go-to guy on the play that essentially clinched Ohio State’s ninth national championship.
With the Buckeyes facing a third-and-11 in the fourth quarter against Notre Dame in the National Championship Game, Smith caught a 56-yard fade pattern to set up the final field goal that set the winning margin at 34-23.
What will he do for an encore?
Probably be the centerpiece of a new-look offense that lost quarterback Will Howard, dynamic running back duo Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson and senior standout receiver Emeka Egbuka.
“I had a great season last year, but I can’t let that one season get in my head,” Smith said. “I mean, a lot of people would let a great season get to their head or start smiling at themselves thinking they’re all that, but me, I don’t think that way. I always feel like I’m looking for something to improve on always.”
Day, who is no stranger to coaching elite receivers, likes what he heard about Smith during the offseason program under coach Mickey Marotti.
“Mick constantly says during our warm-ups he’s the first guy every time we run through a warm-up, the first guy every single time,” Day said. “He just sets such a standard, and you don’t need to motivate Jeremiah, and what he did as a freshman speaks for itself.
“He may not be an older guy. He may not be really vocal in terms of his leadership, but what he does on the field speaks for itself, and the work ethic that he’s brought into this year has been exceptional. I think that he deserved an opportunity to be here today, and that’s why he’s here.”
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