{"id":103681,"date":"2025-07-30T02:44:17","date_gmt":"2025-07-30T02:44:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/103681\/"},"modified":"2025-07-30T02:44:17","modified_gmt":"2025-07-30T02:44:17","slug":"gilbert-jeremiah-smith-is-ohio-states-sure-bet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/103681\/","title":{"rendered":"Gilbert: Jeremiah Smith Is Ohio State\u2019s Sure Bet"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/p>\n

Those one-handed catches\u2026.\u201dIt\u2019s hard to believe the catches he makes,\u201d\u00a0 said Ryan Day after this one-hand snare of a touchdown last year against Michigan State.\u00a0 (Press Pros Feature Photos)<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Ohio State begins preseason practice Thursday, the surest of things is that lots of people say Jeremiah Smith is the best college football player in the nation.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"Last Week In Las Vegas, NV \u2013 <\/strong>What happens in Vegas doesn\u2019t always stay in Vegas.<\/p>\n

When everyone is talking about Jeremiah Smith, how could the news not get out.<\/p>\n

He was the headliner last week at Big Ten Football Media Days and across college football media. If there was a marquee for such things at the Mandalay Beach Convention Center at the south end of the Strip, it would have read: JEREMIAH SMITH: Limited Engagement.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Veteran columnist Jeff Gilbert writes Ohio State football and OHSAA sports for Press Pros Magazine.com.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In \u201cThe City of Lights,\u201d he was the superstar \u2013 no matter what he said or didn\u2019t say during his 30 minutes behind the mic. His fantastic freshman season \u2013 brought to national light during Ohio State\u2019s run to the national championship \u2013 made him known to even casual college football fans.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Minster Bank is proud to sponsor the best in area sports coverage on Press Pros Magazine.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smith starts preseason practice with the Buckeyes on Thursday as a top-five Heisman Trophy candidate on any list of odds you can find. He is the only wide receiver and non-quarterback anywhere near the top 10. A building consensus across college football media is that Smith is the best player in the nation.<\/p>\n

Media members, eager to tell a Jeremiah Smith story, watched as name cards were set on interview tables around the third-floor South Seas Ballroom. When Smith\u2019s name was placed, the jockeying to position video cameras and tripods began.<\/p>\n

Reporters who made the cross-country flight to cover Ohio State, plus many others there to cover other teams, crowded around Smith\u2019s dais to fire all manner of questions his way. In \u201cAmerica\u2019s Playground,\u201d in the middle of a 100-plus degrees afternoon, the 1,000 square feet around Smith and those who came to ask questions, became his playground.<\/p>\n

Not that Smith is suddenly the loquacious, go-to player on the team for the great quote. This wasn\u2019t Deion Sanders holding court. But Smith answered every question thoughtfully, smiled often and was more comfortable in the spotlight than last season. He seemed to enjoy it.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Knapke Kitchens and Baths sponsors Buckeyes sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Still, he\u2019s not the loud kid on the playground, but he would be the first kid to be picked for any game. Obviously, his talent and playmaking ability put him at the top of the list. But his leadership effect is maturing in ways that showed during his half-hour of talking, which, for him, must have felt like a day\u2019s worth of words.<\/p>\n

Smith has been praised by coaches as a leader by example, but he\u2019s been challenged to be a vocal leader this season. Performance coach Mickey Marotti is king of the weight room, and he uses that throne to push players like Smith to be vocal leaders.<\/p>\n

\u201cCoach Mick\u2019s challenged me a lot to open up and say things,\u201d Smith said. \u201cI\u2019m starting to get more out of my shell, but it\u2019s been a pretty big challenge for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Huffer<\/a><\/p>\n

Huffer Chiropractic can help your athlete perform at their best \u2013 with offices in Osgood, Jackson Center, and Dublin, Ohio.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Everything a football player learns in the classroom, with the football team and in front of the media, is part of their education and the clearing of coming-of-age hurdles.<\/p>\n

Smith, however, arrived in Columbus in January of 2024 ahead of the curve in other ways. His work ethic \u2013 praised by coaches every time they are asked what makes Smith special \u2013 his elite talent and his highly competitive nature came with him to college.<\/p>\n

And confidence.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe way I\u2019m able to get open, just making contested catches over two and three people, that\u2019s really what I feel like separates me,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Coaches and scouts call those things route running, good hands and high-pointing the ball. Smith does them all with aplomb. The resulting numbers were 76 receptions, 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.<\/p>\n

When Smith was asked about his performance in the semifinal victory over Texas in the Cotton Bowl, he didn\u2019t break off the route early and hide from the truth. He high-pointed that question and addressed his one catch for three yards. The point of the question was can he play a productive game against Texas in the season opener.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey did a couple things to take me out of the game, but me, Coach [Brian] Hartline and Coach [Ryan] Day just had a conversation about certain things we\u2019re going to do this year for them not to do that,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s definitely going to be a different outcome this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian doesn\u2019t expect his defense to stop Smith just because it did last time. On Colin Cowherd\u2019s radio show recently, Sarkisian talked about all the danger points of Ohio State\u2019s offense but mentioned Smith by name.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019d better know where No. 4 is at all times,\u201d he said. \u201cI do think at the end of the day, A, that\u2019s where your attention needs to be. But, hey, they\u2019ve got really good coaches. He\u2019s going to be moving around. He\u2019s not going to be lining up in one position all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Triple threat\u2026\u201dHe\u2019s probably the best college football player out there.\u00a0 He\u2019s elite.\u201d\u00a0 Michigan Coach Sherrone Moore<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Big Ten Media Days progressed over three days last week, others were asked about Smith. How good is he? How do you contain him?<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s probably the best college football player that\u2019s out there \u2013 he\u2019s elite,\u201d Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got to do everything you can to take the game out of his hands, but it\u2019s going to be hard to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n

Indiana\u2019s Curt Cignetti was five-time All-Pro Julio Jones\u2019 wide receiver coach at Alabama. He said Smith is more flexible and a hair faster.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a freak, he\u2019s a great player,\u201d Cignetti said. \u201cHe\u2019s the greatest at that position I\u2019ve seen at that age, and he\u2019s a weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hype isn\u2019t just about Smith\u2019s exceptional ability, his one-handed touchdown catches, his work ethic and his will to win. The most remarkable thing: He did it as an 18-year-old freshman.<\/p>\n

Day, who coached in the NFL, was asked in what ways Smith will be better as a sophomore.<\/p>\n

\u201cBigger, faster, stronger, more mature, seeing things faster, transitionally in and out of breaks,\u201d he said. \u201cEverything\u2019s going to slow down for him in this next year.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"If those improvements slow football down for Smith, it will speed the game up for every cornerback who tries to cover him. Which begs the question? Could Smith be a No. 1 receiver in the NFL right now? But the NFL rule doesn\u2019t permit drafting players until they have been in college for three years.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m having fun, I\u2019m in college, I\u2019m enjoying life \u2013 not in a rush to go to the NFL,\u201d he said. \u201cYou\u2019ve got NIL. So I don\u2019t think people are really in a rush to go to the NFL. People are getting blessed with all types of money now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Day faced the same questions.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe rule\u2019s in place for a reason,\u201d he said. \u201cHe\u2019s 19 years old, so there\u2019s still a lot of growing that needs to happen, a maturity that has to happen. But, yeah, his talent, it\u2019s pretty remarkable. He\u2019s further along than anybody I\u2019ve ever been around.\u201d<\/p>\n

That\u2019s not a secret confined to Vegas or any place else.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Wilson Health proudly sponsors your favorite area sports on Press Pros Magazine.com.<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Those one-handed catches\u2026.\u201dIt\u2019s hard to believe the catches he makes,\u201d\u00a0 said Ryan Day after this one-hand snare of…\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":103682,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[43],"tags":[1318,1317,1315,1316,62,67,132,68],"class_list":{"0":"post-103681","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-ncaafootball","12":"tag-sports","13":"tag-united-states","14":"tag-unitedstates","15":"tag-us"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@us\/114939891940921767","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103681","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103681"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103681\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103682"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103681"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103681"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103681"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}