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Matt Leinart reacts with bold statement following Jeremiah Smith's first Ohio State touchdown

Wade-Peeryby: Wade Peery08/31/24
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(Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK)

Ohio State freshman Jeremiah Smith has been one of the most celebrated receiver prospects ever to suit up at the school. Coming into the fall, you could make the strong argument that no freshman player had more hype surrounding them than Smith. It didn’t take him long to dazzle in his debut as a Buckeye, hauling in a touchdown catch from Will Howard late in the first quarter against Akron.

It was a beautifully placed ball by Howard in the left side of the end zone.

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Following the catch, it didn’t take long for Matt Leinart of FOX to make a bold statement on social media. He tweeted, “Jeremiah Smith is a stud. Top 10 pick now. Trust me.”

Smith is expected to make quite the splash for the Buckeyes in his first year. He’ll be an exciting one to watch. Smith was rated as the No. 1 overall player in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. There’s been steady buzz around his play ever since he set foot in Columbus in the spring.

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The hype is well deserved, as he’s been dominant from the second he set foot in Columbus, making plenty of amazing highlight reel grabs like this one. He racked up an extensive number of accolades at Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Miami Gardens, Florida). In 14 games as a senior, he hauled in 88 catches for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns. In his final high school game, Smith shined bright on the biggest of stages–the state championship game. He hauled in 11 catches for 170 yards and a touchdown, helping his team roll to a 56-0 route to capture the state title.

In a win against one of the nation’s top football powerhouses, Bergen Catholic (New Jersey), Smith shredded their secondary to the tune of 316 receiving yards and three touchdowns in just three quarters of play. Chaminade-Madonna Prep finished as the nation’s No. 2 ranked team and finished the season 14-0 in 2023. In his final two seasons of high school football, Smith finished with 151 catches for 2,474 yards and 39 touchdowns while playing in 28 games.

He’s been one of the most celebrated receiver prospects in high school football recruiting history and it’s going to be a fascinating career to watch develop in the coming years. That’s for certain.