It’s no news that Jeremiah Smith enters 2025 widely regarded as the best WR in college football. And Pro Football Focus backed up that claim this offseason, placing the Buckeye wideout at No.1 on its list of the top 50 players in the sport. And perhaps the strongest endorsement yet comes from a quarterback who knows him better than most, Will Howard.

The Steelers quarterback recalled his time when he was training with Jeremiah Smith on the Not Just Football podcast on YouTube. Howard was asked whether he believes that Smith is capable of playing in the pro league this year. His response to the question? Pure conviction. “Oh, he could’ve played last year. There’s no doubt in my mind.” Howard’s final year at OSU would also give him a front-row seat to Marvin Harrison Jr., the No.4 overall pick in the draft last year. Howard remembers training with Harrison during the pre-draft process.

According to him, Jeremiah Smith’s talents bear a resemblance to Marvin Harrison Jr., who is considered one of the best route-runners in college football. Howard said, I remember watching him and Marv when I first got there, training for the draft,… He’s running routes with us and stuff, you know, I’m watching Marvin and I’m like, ‘Wow, this guy’s special.’” However, Howard quickly noted that there were times when Smith appeared even better than Marvin. “Then Jeremiah would get up and run the next route, and I’d be like, ‘Dude, that might be better.’ I mean, I’ve never seen anything like Marv, and then you see Jeremiah and it’s like, ‘Whoa,’” Howard added, highlighting the high standard of skill that was on display in their training sessions. 

Marvin Harrison Jr. is a one-of-one talent and the only wide receiver in Ohio State history to get unanimous All-American honors twice. He was also the Beletnikoff award winner in 2023 and was a Heisman finalist. His performance and accolades can only be matched by a few. So, it was a surprise for Howard when HC Ryan Day compared Jeremiah to Marvin, saying, “Man, we got a kid that’s better than Marvin.” Howard then reminisced about how he could not believe Day’s claim until he saw it with his own eyes.

The comparison alone puts weight on Smith’s name. It also comes with a certain level of pressure. He initially faced doubts about how he would perform due to his underwhelming performance in the season opener (caught 6 passes for 43 yards). But it sure did not take long for Smith to prove everyone wrong. In the second game against Grambling State, he etched his name into the record books with a score that came on an 87-yard strike, the longest pass play ever recorded in Ohio State history. When you are backed by a coach of Ryan Day’s standard, you ought to be a talented player.

“He’s a difference maker, and I think he could play in the NFL and probably not just play in the NFL, but be one of the top receivers in the NFL right now,” Howard said. Honestly, did anyone really doubt it?

How has Jeremiah Smith’s season fared so far?

The season has just started, and Jeremiah Smith has been putting up numbers. In the season opener, Smith had six catches for just 43 yards in Ohio State’s Week 1 win over Texas. However, in the week 2 matchup against Grambling State, Jeremiah posted five receptions for 119 yards and two touchdowns. Then came the week 3 clash against the Bobcats, where he had nine receptions for 153 yards and a touchdown, and also ran for a score, which was the second rushing touchdown of his career.

Safe to say, the season is only warming up for Jeremiah, who looks to be carrying his form from the previous season. In the last season, he had six receptions of at least 50 yards, more than anyone else in the country. As if that wasn’t impressive enough, he also received multiple honors like First-team All-Big Ten, Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Big Ten Receiver of the Year, Freshman All-American, and second-team All-American all in the same year!

Sky seems to be the ceiling for the 6’3 wide receiver. With a player like that among their ranks, it is no wonder that Ohio State is 3-0 in the Big Ten conference. Jeremiah Smith will have to keep up his form, as he will face Washington, Minnesota, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Penn State as part of Ohio State’s schedule.