Jeremiah Smith has quickly become one of college football’s most dangerous wide receivers, and it’s not hard to see why Ohio State fans are so high on him. The Buckeyes have had plenty of talented receivers over the years, but Smith is already making a case for himself as one of the best to wear the scarlet and gray. His combination of size, strength, speed, and playmaking ability has made life difficult for opposing defenses, and head coach Ryan Day recently explained whether he saw this kind of dominance coming.

During an appearance on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Day made it clear that he didn’t need years to figure out Smith was special. When Cowherd asked whether the Buckeyes expected this level of production from the young receiver, Day pointed to what he saw from Smith on the field early on.

“It didn’t take long when you watch number four play that you knew he was going to be elite,” Day explained.

In fact, his confidence in the receiver goes all the way back to Signing Day in late 2023, when Smith officially committed to Ohio State. Day’s viral sigh of relief said plenty about how much landing the five-star recruit meant to the Buckeyes.

Once Smith got onto the practice field, Day’s excitement only grew. Former Ohio State quarterback Will Howard even shared a story about Day getting fired up during an early practice because Howard wasn’t throwing the ball to Smith. Day reportedly told the huddle that Smith was “the best wide receiver to ever play the game,” even before the young receiver had played a single college snap.

Day also had a clear message for his coaching staff about the importance of recruiting elite talent. “And I just say to the coaches that that’s not good coaching. That’s called good recruiting. And that’s really what it comes down to when it comes to Jeremiah,” Day said.

While Day didn’t mention Brian Hartline by name, his comments indirectly highlighted the former Ohio State wide receivers coach’s contribution to landing Smith. Hartline played a major role in recruiting the five-star prospect, who was heavily pursued by programs including Florida State, Miami, and Florida.

And Smith’s numbers have only proven why that recruiting victory mattered so much. The former five-star recruit hasn’t just lived up to expectations. He’s exceeded them, delivering record-breaking performances without showing any signs of a sophomore slump.

As a freshman in 2024, he recorded 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in 16 games. He followed that up with 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. Now, through six games in 2026, Smith has already collected 48 catches for 916 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s averaging 152.7 receiving yards per game, putting him on pace for another monster season.

The scary part is that Smith has already rewritten Ohio State’s career receiving records before finishing his junior season. Against Kent State on September 19, he surpassed Michael Jenkins’ previous school record of 2,898 receiving yards. Then, against Iowa on October 3, he moved past Emeka Egbuka’s record of 205 career receptions. Smith now has 211 catches for 3,474 yards and 38 receiving touchdowns in his Ohio State career. He’s the first receiver in program history to surpass 3,000 career receiving yards.

At this point, Smith isn’t just chasing career records, though. The former five-star recruit is already making history in 2026.

His 11 touchdown receptions through six games broke Terry Glenn’s Ohio State record of 10 touchdown catches through the first six games of a season. He is also the first Buckeyes receiver to record at least 10 touchdown catches in three different seasons, which is crazy considering the fact that the Buckeyes have had tons of elite wideouts!

And with 38 career touchdown receptions, he’s closing in on the Big Ten career record of 39, held by former Michigan receiver Braylon Edwards.

Day also highlighted two qualities that separate Smith from other talented receivers: his physical strength and competitive mindset.

Traits That Separate Jeremiah From the Rest of the Great Buckeyes!

“We’ve had a lot of talented guys. We’ve had a lot of guys who have good hands, run good routes, and have good quickness. But to me, the things that make him special are, first, just how powerful he is. When you get up on him, he is so strong. And then, the second thing is just how competitive he is and the mindset he came in with, and how he’s continued to develop that while he’s been here. There’s no question that he’s different and special,” Day said.

Ohio State has had plenty of WRs like Chris Olave, Terry McLaurin, Garrett Wilson, JSN, and Carnell Tate, who might’ve had crisp routes and made difficult catches, but none of them had the clear strength to fight through contact and the ability to turn routine plays into big gains like Smith does.

That’s what makes him such a tough matchup, even when defenders know the ball is coming his way.

Smith’s impact isn’t limited to the stat sheet. Day has also praised his work ethic and willingness to put the team first. That combination of talent and mentality helps explain why the Buckeyes trusted him so early in his college career.

So, did Day know Smith would become this dominant? His answer suggests he recognized the potential early, even if predicting exactly how quickly Smith would develop was another matter. The coach saw an elite receiver from the beginning, and Smith has continued to exceed expectations. For Ohio State, that early evaluation has turned into a major win on the recruiting trail!