Ohio State’s freshman class came in loaded with hype, but Jeremiah Smith is already singling out one name. Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd and Jay Timmons all arrived with big expectations, yet Smith seems most sold on Legend Bey. His prediction for the freshman running back is not just bold.
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Jeremiah Smith told Luke Montgomery in the spring that Legend Bey could eventually become a Heisman Trophy finalist, or even win the award, before his Ohio State career is over.
“I said, before Legend Bey leave Ohio State, he’ll be a Heisman finalist or he’ll end up winning it,” he said, per Clevelanddotcom’s Stefan Krajisnik. “And the things he’s been doing in practice has been pretty special for sure.”
That is not normal freshman hype. Jeremiah Smith is basically putting Heisman expectations on a player who has not taken a college snap yet. But Legend Bey at least has the numbers to justify the noise. He was a top-10 athlete in the recruiting rankings and finished high school with roughly 4,000 rushing yards, 3,500 passing yards and 94 touchdowns. As a senior, he scored 45 times in just 11 games. And he did most of that damage playing quarterback.
The talent was never the messy part, but his recruitment was.
He committed to Tennessee, flipped to Ohio State, then reversed course again and signed with the Vols on National Signing Day.
Days later, Tennessee released him, and he ended up in Columbus anyway. SMU, Texas and Texas A&M also made late pushes for the four-star prospect, who finished as the No. 131 overall player in the 2026 Rivals Industry Ranking.
The chaos did not end once Bey finally reached Columbus.
Ryan Day called him a “poor man’s Tyreek Hill” in January, but his first few months at Ohio State have been anything but smooth.
Bey lost the right to wear the Scarlet and Gray No. 2 after failing to meet program standards, was later suspended during fall camp, and a hamstring injury kept him out of the spring game. For a freshman carrying this much hype, the early warning signs were hard to ignore.
Those warning signs have eased, but the football problem remains. Bey lost his black stripe Tuesday, a clear sign he has rebuilt trust inside the program.
That still does not put him near the top of the depth chart. Bo Jackson and Isaiah West are ahead of him, and Ohio State is not handing out carries based on hype.
At Ohio State, losing the black stripe is basically the program saying a newcomer has finally earned his place.
Marcus Baugh is proof that it can mean more than just freshman tradition. In 2013, the highly rated tight end landed in Urban Meyer’s doghouse after an underage drinking arrest and another team-rule violation. He was suspended, removed from team activities, and forced to earn his way back.
By December, Baugh had impressed coaches enough with his work ethic to have the black stripe removed.
That is why Bey’s stripe removal matters more than usual. His offseason gave the Buckeyes reasons to question him, and now the program is signaling that he has started to rebuild that trust.
And the depth chart is not doing Bey any favors.
Ja’Kobi Jackson has also taken first-team reps, leaving the freshman potentially fighting just to become Ohio State’s RB3. That is a long way from the Heisman stage Smith is predicting, and exactly why the claim sounds so outrageous right now.
“Legend is learning how to play the position, but you certainly can see the talent,” Day said during fall camp. “He had some big plays, some explosive plays today. I think if he continues to grow and continues to get better, all of those things, take care of the football. You can see what a weapon he can become for us.”
At Ohio State, he has to protect the ball, trust the gaps, and stop relying on athleticism to save every play.
The hype around Bey is not coming from one corner. Back in March, former Buckeye Mekka Don called him a “future household name at Ohio State,” and Jeremiah Smith answered, “Facts.”
Now Smith has gone much further and put Heisman expectations on a freshman still fighting for carries.
That is a massive claim, especially from someone entering his final college season with plenty left to chase himself.
Jeremiah Smith still has unfinished business at Ohio State
Jeremiah Smith has won a national championship, beaten Michigan, earned All-American honors twice, and collected two Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year awards. He’s now the team captain too. Still, he wants more.
The Biletnikoff Award and Heisman remain on his wish list. He has admitted the Heisman is especially difficult because QBs tend to dominate the race.
“With the Heisman, if it comes, it comes,” he said. “I know it really comes down to quarterbacks. So I gotta have an outstanding season where they can’t deny me.”
His ultimate wish is obvious. Jeremiah Smith wants his own name mentioned alongside Ohio State legends such as Archie Griffin and Orlando Pace. He wants the kind of legacy that sticks around even after he leaves for the NFL.
“The best to ever come through Ohio State,” he said. “Those are real legends right there. I want to be in a category with them, so that’s what I’m chasing.”
Legend Bey has a long way to go before anyone can put him in that conversation. For now, he needs to win snaps, protect the football and prove he can handle the RB position at Ohio State. But the talent is obvious and both Jeremiah Smith and Ryan Day see it.