Jeremiah Smith reacts to praise from LeBron James

Current Ohio State players marveled at Jeremiah Smith’s one-hand show late in the first half at Michigan State. So did former Ohio State players.

And so did LeBron James.

“It means a lot,” Smith said postgame when the first-year Buckeyes receiver was asked about James chiming in on Smith’s pair of jaw-dropping, one-handed grabs during a 38-7 win over the Spartans.

“Growing up, just watching LeBron and looking up to him and the things that he was doing on the basketball side, it’s pretty cool to me.”

JEREMIAH SMITH!!!! MAN KNOCK IT OFF!!!! MY GOODNESS O-H..

— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 29, 2024

Smith, the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 class, starred in Spartan Stadium, especially on Ohio State’s final drive of the first half.

First the phenom freshman reeled in a 27-yard pass from starting quarterback Will Howard. After elevating between two Michigan State defenders, Smith used his right hand to pull in the downfield throw. His left hand then helped him secure the reception while he maintained his body control and got down in bounds.

Three plays later, on 3rd-and-10, Smith extended his right hand to pluck a 17-yard dart from backup quarterback Devin Brown, who came in to momentarily replace Howard after he got the wind knocked out of him. Smith made that one-handed snag in stride while scoring his second touchdown of the night.

He also found the end zone on a well-designed, 19-yard endaround earlier in the first half.

“I think he has all the all the intangibles that you would want in a prototypical receiver,” Buckeyes senior wide receiver Emeka Egbuka said of Smith postgame. “Obviously, he’s tall, he’s fast, he’s strong, all these things. But just his ability to seek knowledge and want to be able to learn — he doesn’t necessarily have to listen to everything that I say or that Coach Hart (Brian Hartline) says, but he takes in all this knowledge, and he applies it on the field.

“So as his knowledge grows and his game expands, he’s really going to turn into something special. Buckeye fans can be excited for these next few years.”

Smith finished Saturday night with five catches for 83 yards and a touchdown, plus he notched the 19-yard rushing score mentioned above.

He now has six touchdowns in his first four games in a Buckeyes uniform. The Chaminade-Madonna Prep product and Miami Gardens, Florida, native leads Ohio State with 364 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns.

“His work ethic,” Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day said postgame, “he does it every day in practice. He just doesn’t say a word but works his tail off.

“His discipline, his humility, he loves being a Buckeye, you can tell just with the way he works with his teammates. He’s coming out of his shell a little bit, too, which is great to see. But I mean, the talent speaks for itself. I just am impressed with the discipline and the hard work and being able to step in at such a young age. The only way you do that is if you go in and put the work in. And he came in with that work ethic. Brian certainly has taken it from there. But this is a special young man.”