Ryan Day raves about early development of Jeremiah Smith, Caleb Downs

Ohio State will feature two of the more exciting young talents in college football at the safety and wide receiver positions in 2024 with sophomore transfer defensive back Caleb Downs and true freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith on the roster. And head coach Ryan Day was bullish about the duo at a recent spring media opportunity.

Speaking with reporters, Day made sure not to let his mouth write checks that his young players would need to cash, but made it clear he feels strong about both players. It was likely less of a concern that Downs could come in and make an immediate impact, given he was an On3 freshman All-American in 2023 starting for Alabama.

And Smith was the No. 1 overall recruit in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the top recruiting services, and On3’s own player rankings. Smith has apparently lived up to that billing since enrolling early in Columbus.

“Caleb already has a year of college football under his belt at a high level, so he’s further along that way,” Day said. “But Jeremiah has really stepped in. He got his black stripe off real quick. He’s got a great approach. And I’m going to be careful what I say, but he’s been certainly a pleasure to watch and we’re all very excited about his future.”

The black stripe Day referred to is a tradition at Ohio State, where freshmen are given a helmet with a black stripe down the middle and must earn the right to have an Ohio State helmet with the traditional red stripe running down the middle.

And while getting the black stripe off quickly ultimately has little impact on the games come fall, it’s a sign of just how fast Smith is developing for Day and Co.

And with him and Downs both set to feature heavily for the Buckeyes in 2024, Day remains hopeful for what can come with the level of talent and ability that both players bring.

“I think anytime you have somebody who is as talented as both of those guys are, you get excited about them, certainly,” Day said. “And the recruiting process. But then you have guys that have discipline and then skill like they do, that’s when you have a chance to have a great player. I think both of them have discipline in their life. I think both of them have built up a skill package.”