Family Rallies Behind Jeremiah Smith After Ryan Day’s Strong Ohio State Ultimatum

Ohio State vs Texas is just around the corner, with both teams getting ready for the showdown in Columbus. But all eyes will be on Ohio State’s 2024 true freshman All-American Jeremiah Smith, who enters the season with Heisman expectations. He sure has the promise of an elite QB in Julian Sayin and is guided by Ryan Day, head coach of the defending national champions. Now, some of Smith’s closest family members have made their stance clear on his growing stardom.

Jeremiah Smith received 1,315 yards last season and averaged a stellar 17.3 yards per catch. That was just his freshman season, and this year, with an upgraded skill set, Smith comes back with a greater prospect of haunting those defenses. “He’s gotten bigger, stronger, and faster than he was last year… He just sets such a standard, and you don’t need to motivate Jeremiah,” said Ryan Day. Now, with some motivation from his close family members, Smith seems to be ready!!

Jeremiah Smith’s brother, Angelo Smith, posted a story on his IG account, posting his photos from last year and showing excitement with the “hourglass” emoji. But Angelo wasn’t the only one, because Smith also has the support of his Auntie, who commented on ‘BattleSports’ IG page that featured Smith with five “🔥“ emojis. Still, the Texas challenge won’t be easy.

As of the time of writing this article, Ohio State and Texas are in a deadlock in the second quarter, with both teams’ defenses matching toe to toe. Moreover, Julian Sayin is also facing trouble, having completed 4 of the 9 passes. As for Arch Manning, Texas is mostly trying to go through their rushing game, with Arch having passed for just 13 yards with 12:35 minutes left on the second quarter clock. The Texas defense has really then upped the ante.

Texas has senior Jaylon Guilbeau, who totaled 58 tackles last year, and safety Michael Taaffe, coming after a 78-tackle season. Apart from them, Derek Williams Jr. is a rising talent, having totaled 42 tackles in 2023, and Malik Muhammad, who came after totaling 35 tackles last year at the CB position. These players sure will make it hard for Jeremiah Smith, and we could potentially see more production from players like Carnell Tate. That said, Ryan Day has outlined his intentions for the Texas game.

Ryan Day finally declares big for the Texas game, putting pressure on Jeremiah Smith

Texas and Ohio State are the two favorites in 2025 to win the national title. So, the game in Week 1 will not just define the rhythm and attitude for both teams. But it can also give one confidence if they have a rematch in the playoffs. As for Ryan Day, he has been preparing for the game for some time now and has planned every contingency.

“It’s been circled on the calendar for a long time. Being ready to play in this first game is important. When you have the No. 1 team in the country coming in with the type of talent they have, obviously, it has our attention. It has from the jump,” said Ryan Day on a recent radio show with Paul Keels and Jim Lachey. Despite Ryan Day’s promise, Jeremiah Smith will need Julian Sayin to be on his A game, and the odds are stacked against Smith.

Despite the quality Smith comes with, this year, teams will surely throw double coverage on Smith. This would mean Julian Sayin, who hasn’t seen much game time until now, will have to be pinpoint with his throws. And doing that against an elite D line of Texas that has players like Anthony Hill Jr. and Liona Lefau won’t be easy. That said, the atmosphere at Columbus can do its job, and the Texas game won’t be the end of any players’ prospects for the season.