WATCH: Five-Star Plus+ Ohio State WR commit Jeremiah Smith burns defender for 70-yard TD
Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep Five-Star Plus+ Ohio State wide receiver commit Jeremiah Smith showed part of why he is the nation’s No. 1 overall recruit on Saturday night.
Facing off against Miami (Fla.) Northwestern, Smith burst past his defensive back before turning on the burners en route to a 70-yard touchdown pass.
The game was cut short due to weather in a 35-6 victory for Chaminade-Madonna.
Smith is the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.
The 6-foot-3, 200-pound Smith committed to Ohio State back in December, but has continued to visit schools around the country. Per his social media, he remains locked in with the Buckeyes.
“I am still taking visits even though I am committed,” he told Lettermen Row. “But I know where I want to be and that’s Ohio State.
“I want to be a first-round draft pick like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and soon Marvin Harrison Jr.” “So that’s what I’m gonna do and I’m gonna do that at Ohio State.”
He currently has an On3 NIL Valuation of $457,000. The On3 NIL Valuation is the industry’s leading index that sets high school and college athletes’ projected annual value (PAV). The NIL valuation does not act as a tracker of the value of NIL deals an athlete has completed to date. It rather signifies an athlete’s value at a certain moment in time.
Smith headlines elite Ohio State class
Smith is part of an elite Ohio State class that ranks No. 2 in the nation in the 2024 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The Buckeyes have commitments from 16 blue-chip recruits, including four five-star prospects.
The three five-stars in addition to Smith are Chicago (Ill.) St. Ignatius defensive lineman Justin Scott, New Haven (Ind.) wide receiver Mylan Graham and Fairburn (Ga.) Langston Hughes quarterback Air Noland. Noland put on a show of his own Friday night, leading Langston Hughes on a 2-minute drill comeback win including Noland’s game-winning touchdown pass.
Smith is one of two Florida prospects who have pledged to the Buckeyes, the other being Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas four-star running back Jordan Lyle.
The most recent recruit to pledge to Ohio State is yet another receiver, Saint Louis (Mo.) Christian Brothers College four-star Jeremiah McClellan. That gives receivers coach Brian Hartline commitments from the Nos. 1, 5 and 17 wide receivers in the 2024 cycle — all of which are top-100 recruits.