Chip Kelly explains why he had so much confidence in Jeremiah Smith during Ohio State debut

Jeremiah Smith dropped his first career receiving target. If he had caught the screen pass, the true freshman wideout could have turned the second play of Ohio State’s season opener into a crowd-inspiring, breakaway touchdown. That’s how well Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly drew it up.

The drop didn’t deter Kelly from calling Smith-focused plays the rest of the day, though. Neither did a false start penalty the very next snap.

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“I’ve been around here since March,” Kelly said with a smile. “And he’s been doing a lot of really, really good things. So I don’t think that was a surprise to anybody that he’s going to be a featured guy in this offense. We obviously saw it.

“Besides that first drop, the rest of the game, I thought he played really, really well.”

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Smith scored not one but two touchdowns in his Ohio State debut, a 52-6 win over Akron. He was targeted more than any other Buckeyes receiver and reeled in six passes for 92 yards, including a 45-yard catch that set up a touchdown early in the third quarter.

Smith, the On3 Industry Ranking’s No. 1 overall prospect in the 2024 class, showcased an impressive connection with Kansas State graduate transfer quarterback Will Howard.

“This is just the start for him,” Howard said postgame. “I’m excited for him. I think we’re starting to develop a lot of chemistry, and I’m excited to see how this season goes for him. He’s a phenomenal player.

“He’s going to have quite a few more targets this year, I’m sure.”

Ohio State head coach Ryan Day held back from saying too much about his freshman phenom this offseason. It was hard for him, considering Smith became the first Ohio State true freshman to ever shed his black stripe in only four practices.

Then, according to Buckeyes coaches and players who spoke to the media last month, Smith became the first Ohio State true freshman to earn “Iron Buckeye” honors. To Ohio State, an “Iron Buckeye” is someone who showcases “unquestionable training, dedication, determination, discipline, toughness and leadership” during winter and summer workouts. Strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti picked 10 of them this year, including Smith.

Now, Smith is the first Ohio State freshman to score two receiving touchdowns in his debut since Michael Wiley did it against Rice in 1996. Smith’s first three catches last weekend came on third down. Of his six catches, five moved the chains or ended with six points.

Day didn’t hold back when talking about the On3 Preseason Freshman All-American postgame.

“Sometimes you look at him, and you don’t even think he’s quite human, but he is,” Day said of the 6-foot-3, 215-pound Smith.

There’s a reason why the Buckeyes let Smith play through his early mistakes in the opener — and why Kelly kept calling plays that put Smith in position to score.

Smith looks more like a college football star than he does a college football true freshman.