Ryan Day hands over surprising answer on Jeremiah Smith's overlooked attribute

Jeremiah Smith cemented himself to be one of the best wide receivers in the country this season. As a true freshman 1,000-yard receiver, his skill on the field is on display every time Ohio State takes the field.

However, there’s an attribute Smith possesses that often gets overlooked, and has nothing to do with his efforts on the field.

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According to Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day, it’s his size. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he’s already the same size as some wide receivers in the NFL today.

“When you get up on him, you realize how big he is and how big he plays, and that will be something he’ll have to do in this game as well, play big, play strong, play powerful,” Day said ahead of the Rose Bowl vs. Oregon. “And I think Brian has done a great job again this year with our receivers, and we’re going to need them all in this game, just like when we played them last time.

“But certainly everybody’s involved in the pass game, in terms of the protection, Will making the throws, but creating separation and making plays is what’s important. And our receivers have done that, and certainly Jeremiah has done that this year and we’ll need that again on the 1st.”

Smith has had four 100-yard receiving games so far this season — including scoring a touchdown on a nine-reception, 100-yard performance last time out against Ohio State. That mark is still his career-high in receptions in a single game.

Despite his best efforts, time would run out on Ohio State against the Ducks earlier this season. The Buckeyes will look to avenge their 32-31 loss on New Year’s Day against Oregon in the Rose Bowl.

Kickoff is set for 5 p.m. ET on Jan. 1 and will air live on ESPN.