Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) takes the field for football training camp at the Woody Hayes Athletic Center on Aug. 1, 2025. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes' Ryan Day Is Fired Up About Jeremiah Smith's Potential

Originally posted on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI
By Nathan Beighle | Last updated Aug 7, 2025 5:11 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes are going to have an electric offense behind Jeremiah Smith this season. While it isn't quite known who will be throwing him the ball, as long as they're mildly competent, Smith should put up some goliath numbers.

The battle at quarterback is down to Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz, the latter of whom was named an Iron Buckeye earlier this month. The former was a five-star talent who started his career in Alabama. Both are talented, and with Smith as the main weapon, they should have one man open at all times.

Smith has often been named the best player in college football, and head coach Ryan Day is believing the hype in him. He sat down and spoke on Smith, calling him a "lightning bolt." He also spoke on how he's going to have to be creative in finding ways to get him open.

As the Buckeyes saw with their battle against the Texas Longhorns last season, Smith is going to get doubled often and will almost always have safety help over top. That said, here's the full interview from Day.

"He is a lightning bolt right now." ⚡️

Ryan Day likes what he's seeing from @OhioStateFB's WR Jeremiah Smith this offseason.#B1GToday pic.twitter.com/u0nAV1Zg1e
— Big Ten Football (@B1Gfootball) August 6, 2025

Day has hope for Smith to be a stud this season, and the indication from fall training is that things are going to be better than last season.

Can Jeremiah Smith top last season's numbers?

Smith put up 1,315 receiving yards a season ago and 15 touchdowns. Both of those figures led the Big Ten conference, and he'll be expected to lead the most competitive conference in the country in both those areas again. However, with the amount of coverage that he'll see, it will be difficult for either quarterback to get him the ball. With neither quarterback being as comfortable as seasoned starter Will Howard was last season, those numbers will be tough to beat.

The Buckeyes will be able to see Smith's new physical abilities against the Longhorns fresh out of the gate, starting their season with the top-ranked team in the country on August 30. The fireworks will start early, and Smith might have something to prove after a difficult battle versus the Longhorns last season.

As for Smith's numbers, he ended last year with 76 receptions, 17.3 yards per reception and 82.2 yards per game. Those are all numbers that could be improved upon, but considering his speed, safety help may be there often. One should expect the yards per reception to take a ding, especially if he's more involved in short-yardage situations. Nonetheless, everyone should expect a massive season from the young star.

This article first appeared on Ohio State Buckeyes on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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