The Expert's Take: Why Ohio State 2024 talents Jeremiah Smith, Julian Sayin finish as top five prospects
COLUMBUS — Ohio State routinely brings in some of the best talent across the country. Year in and year out, the Buckeyes sign top-five classes that contain elite players all over the field.
The 2024 recruiting cycle was no exception for head coach Ryan Day and his staff. Ohio State signed 20 high school seniors and will add another on Feb. 7 when four-star Painesville (Ohio) Riverside defensive lineman Dominic Kirks signs his letter of intent.
The Buckeyes had 11 members of their 2024 class land inside the final On300. None of those 11 were outside of 200 and beyond. Perhaps the biggest moment in the final rankings was that five-star Hollywood (Fla) Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was named the No. 1 overall prospect by On3. Smith is also the No. 1 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Rankings.
On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings, Charles Power, had this assessment about why Smith took the top spot in the final rankings update.
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“The Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna product is the top route-runner in the cycle in a 6-foot-3, 215-pound body that wouldn’t be out of place on an NFL field. The combination of technical ability along with his size and high-end athleticism (state champion hurdler) is unique. Smith is strong in every facet.
“He effortlessly stacks cornerbacks off the line of scrimmage with a deep bag of releases. He runs an advanced route tree and has an innate ability to drop his weight and change directions at his size. Smith has strong hands at the catch point, consistently winning in jump ball situations and easily tracking the ball over his shoulder. He’s also very strong after the catch, showing the ability to maximize yardage with the ball in his hands.
“The physical and technical skill set seamlessly transfers over to the field, as Smith was a dominant, high-volume target on Friday nights. The future Buckeye wideout hauled in 90 catches for 1,389 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior, on top of 20 touchdown catches as a junior.“
Smith isn’t the only Ohio State player Power broke down on Monday, however. Five-star Plus+ Carlsbad (Calif) quarterback Julian Sayin ended the 2024 cycle as the No. 5 overall prospect by On3. Sayin will count toward the 2024 recruiting class rather than the transfer class by On3.
The 6-foot-1.5, 190-pound quarterback transferred from Alabama to Ohio State on Jan. 21. Sayin finished as the No. 2 quarterback both by On3 and the On3 Industry Rankings. Power’s assessment on the newest Buckeye quarterback.
“Ohio State transfer quarterback Julian Sayin is the most accurate passer in the cycle. The Carlsbad (Ca.) High product thrives within structure and is surgical when operating from within the pocket. Sayin was the top quarterback on the summer camp circuit and was the On3 MVP at both the Elite 11 Finals and the OT7 Finals in June. The one-time Alabama signee carried that over to his senior season, turning in a very efficient campaign, completing over 75% of his passes at 11.2 yards per attempt.“
Both Jeremiah Smith and Julian Sayin are on campus and are undergoing winter workouts. They’re definitely two of the many Buckeyes Lettermen Row will be watching closely once spring ball begins.
