Dan Lanning believes Jeremiah Smith is 'NFL ready'

The Oregon Ducks got their second chance to compete against the Ohio State Buckeyes this season, meeting in the Rose Bowl on New Year’s Day. There, head coach Dan Lanning found that he and the Ducks had no answer for star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Despite just finishing his true freshman season, Lanning believes that Smith is already ready for the NFL. He said more after the Rose Bowl loss on Wednesday.

“He’s strong,” Lanning said. “He attacks the ball in the air as well as any receiver I’ve seen. I mean the guy’s NFL-ready. He’s that talented. He’s very special and Will Howard did a great job of getting the ball to him tonight. He’s tough to defend, he’s physical, he’s got all the tools. So, really talented player.”

Through 14 games in his freshman season, Smith has 70 receptions for 1,224 yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had five carries for 52 yards and a rushing touchdown. Smith has done that and still could play in as many as two more games to continue to add to his massive stat total.

In his two games against Lanning and Oregon, Smith has had some of his best individual performances. Back in October, in a losing effort, he had nine receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown. He then topped that and had a career-best performance in the Rose Bowl, snagging seven receptions for 187 yards and two touchdowns.

Lanning isn’t alone in thinking he’s NFL-ready, either. ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, following the Rose Bowl, shared that he thinks Jeremiah Smith could have been the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft if he was eligible.

“If Jeremiah Smith came out in the draft this year, he would be the number one pick. Not even close. He would be a shoo-in to be the number one pick. In the playoff, he’s got 13 catches for 204 yards and four touchdowns. Those four touchdowns go for 37, 22, 43, and 45. They’ve got the best player left in the playoff. He would be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft this year,” Orlovsky said.

“He’s Julio Jones. He reminds me of Julio Jones. His physical frame reminds me a little bit of Calvin Johnson.”

For now, Smith still isn’t eligible for the NFL Draft and will remain in college, looking to have an impact on the rest of the College Football Playoff as Ohio State continues its run.