Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has established himself as the most potent weapon in college football since his debut two seasons ago. Smith recently made national headlines by revealing he turned down a staggering $10 million NIL offer from an anonymous program to remain in Columbus. Entering his junior year, Smith remains the primary reason the Buckeyes are favorites for both the Big Ten title and the 2026 national championship.
Smith is currently a frontrunner for the Heisman Trophy, looking to become the first wide receiver to win the award since DeVonta Smith in 2020. His presence has transformed Ryan Day’s offense into a juggernaut, having posted a 90.9 rating in the PFSN College Football Offense Impact Metric during their 12-2 campaign last season.
Jeremiah Smith Receives Jaxon Smith-Njigba’s Endorsement
While speaking to Big Ten Network’s Michelle Steele during Ohio State’s spring game on Saturday, April 18, former Buckeyes star Jaxon Smith-Njigba praised Smith’s trajectory. Smith-Njigba, fresh off a Super Bowl LX victory with the Seattle Seahawks, noted that the young wideout is already surpassing the lofty standards set by his predecessors.
“I wouldn’t say a mentor, but he knows anything he needs, he can always call me, text,” Smith-Njigba said. “We definitely get together, talk some ball. I’m just super proud of him and him pushing the bar even further than what we did. It’s exciting times here. He’s a winner and it’s going to be great to see him flourish this year.”
Smith-Njigba currently holds the Ohio State single-season records for receptions (95) and receiving yards (1,606). However, with Smith already tallying 2,558 career yards and 27 touchdowns in just two seasons, those benchmarks are well within reach for the junior in 2026.
Ohio State Legend Reveals Smith’s Frustration
During Tuesday’s segment of “The Bobby Carpenter Show,” former Buckeyes linebacker Bobby Carpenter revealed that Smith grew frustrated during spring camp with defensive coordinator Matt Patricia. Reportedly, Patricia mandated constant double-teams on Smith to test the defense and challenge the star receiver.
“JJ was getting really upset about the double coverage,” Carpenter said. “But Matt Patricia isn’t an idiot. You’re going to play teams where they legit have great players, so you’re going to work through that. Get used to it. You think there’s an NFL coach that’s not going to double-cover you? That’s just part of being ‘The Man.’”
Smith finished the 2025 season with 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year honors. He enters the 2026 season needing only nine touchdowns to surpass Chris Olave (35) for the most receiving scores in program history, and 341 yards to overtake Michael Jenkins (2,898) as the school’s all-time receiving yardage leader.
