Ryan Day raves about how Jeremiah Smith impacts Ohio State program

The Ohio State Buckeyes were spurred to a national championship in 2024 in part because of the play of wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Now just a sophomore, Smith returns to Columbus for a 2025 season when he is arguably the best player on the team and the best receiver in the country.

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day brought Jeremiah Smith with him to Big Ten Media Days. There, he took some time to praise Smith, explaining that his impact on the program as a leader, showing up and doing things the right way, is what makes him special.

“If you look at him,” Ryan Day said. “You’ve seen where he’s gotten bigger and stronger and faster than he was last year. He was at workouts the other day, and Mick [Mickey Marotti] constantly says during our warmups, he’s the first guy every time we run through. The first guy. Every single time. He just sets such a standard.”

On the field, Jeremiah Smith had a statistically special freshman season. He caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. That was on 17.3 yards per reception. That was a receiving touchdown record for an Ohio State freshman.

“You don’t need to motivate Jeremiah. What he did as a freshman speaks for itself. Like you said, he may not be an older guy. He may not be really vocal in terms of his leadership,” Day said. “But what he does on the field speaks for itself. The work ethic he’s brought into this year has been exceptional, and I think that deserves an opportunity to be here today.”

Like many teams coming off a national championship caliber season, Ohio State has seen some massive turnover on its roster as players move on to the NFL or the transfer portal. So, for Ryan Day, he knows he’s asking players to step into new roles. Getting them to do so, like Jeremiah Smith has, is never easy but seems to be going well.

“That’s why he’s here. I think Caleb [Downs] and Sonny [Styles] also have really taken big steps as leaders,” Day said. “Because we know guys have taken different roles this year. I think all three of them have done a great job. We also have some guys back in Columbus who have stepped up into big roles. So, you have to pick three. I asked if I could bring more, they wouldn’t let me. I would’ve if we could, but these guys are very deserving.”

Ohio State will need Smith at full force when the season starts. After all, the Buckeyes dive right into the deep end, with a College Football Playoff semifinal rematch against the Texas Longhorns to open up the season.