Steve Sarkisian breaks down how Texas will defend Jeremiah Smith

Going into a Week 1 matchup against Ohio State, Texas coach Steve Sarkisian knows his team will have its work cut out for it. Particularly when it comes to star Buckeyes receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Smith put together a historic year as a true freshman in 2024. All he did was rack up 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns receiving.

But Sarkisian might have a sneaky advantage going into the major showdown. He’s seen all this before.

“You know, it’s interesting. I had a chance to coach Julio Jones for two years in Atlanta,” Sarkisian said in an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd on Thursday. “Reminds me a lot of him. So big and physical but yet fast. I mean cover ground, so strong at the point of attack when the ball’s in the air. You see just the ability to make contested catches.”

Whether that player comparison will be enough to help Texas slow down Jeremiah Smith remains to be seen. Probably easier said than done.

Sarkisian admitted that Jeremiah Smith will be a large focus for the defensive gameplan in the opener. He’s seen how Smith can single-handedly take over games. The Longhorns don’t want to fall victim to that.

“I do think at the end of the day, A, that’s where your attention needs to be,” Sarkisian said. “But, hey, they’ve got really good coaches. He’s going to be moving around. He’s not going to be lining up in one position all the time.”

There’s no denying how important the season-opening matchup will be for both teams. It will set the tone for the rest of the season.

Down the line it could very well be a huge difference-maker in playoff seeding — both teams have playoff aspirations and the talent to be in the mix. So getting a real handle on Jeremiah Smith will be paramount for Texas.

“Ideally you’ve got multiple people with eyes on him and guarding him, but you still have to play great team defense and you’ve got to have ability to stop the run and you’ve got to cover the other two wideouts they have that are two really good players, too,” Sarkisian said. “I do think the multitude of things that you can do well, but you better know where No. 4 is at all times.”