Jeremiah Smith details how facing Ohio State defenders has improved him

To this point in the offseason, the Ohio State Buckeyes have liked what they’ve seen from freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Still, he’s a developing young player for the Buckeyes.

One key to Smith’s development has been getting to face the elite Ohio State secondary led by players like Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun. By going up against that top competition, he’s able to continue to improve as a player in practice.

“For sure, just going against those two guys [Denzel Burke and Davison Igbinosun], the best two DBs in the country,” Jeremiah Smith said. “That’s the reason I came here. Just going against [those] guys is gonna make me better each and every day.”

Jeremiah Smith came to Ohio State as an incredibly highly-rated prospect. He was a five-star recruit in the Class of 2024, according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He was also the top-ranked wide receiver and player overall in that recruiting cycle.

From the time that Smith got to Ohio State, he began to make his presence felt. That included at practice and during the team’s Spring Game. There, he stood out and had an excellent performance against that Ohio State secondary, making several excellent plays.

With all of that, there’s been a ton of hype around Jeremiah Smith. It’s hype that quarterback Devin Brown says he’s handling “like a pro” despite his young age.

Brian Hartline praises Jeremiah Smith for his work during Ohio State camp

Part of what makes Jeremiah Smith such an exciting young player is his work ethic. That’s something coaches like Brian Hartline have already noticed in practice.

“Every guy who comes in, they’re all different and they’re all on their own path. Some gotta grow here while others gotta grow there, and the end goal isn’t to start at Ohio State. That’s just one of the goals along the journey. So, once you start, then you’ve got to be productive, and then once you’re productive and you have a name, you’ve got to justify that name. And then you become a first-round pick, and you’ve got to show you’re worth being a first-round pick.” Hartline said.

“The main goal is where we’re at. He has a lot of tools. He works extremely hard, and I will say this. I would say that we’ve never had an Iron Buckeye from Coach Mick as a freshman. I don’t know about ever, or I know definitely since I’ve been here. So, a lot of credit to him where, as far as Jeremiah goes. He embodied everything that is a part of that conversation, right? It’s not just lifting numbers, speed numbers. It is the way you carry yourself, the way you train, the way you have the edge to you. It’s all of that. So, he’s the first one that’s ever earned that, and we’re kind of leaving it at that.”