Ryan Day Breaks Silence on Jeremiah Smith's Reported Transfer Portal Offer

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Max Escarpio | Last updated Jan 24, 2025 2:22 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes stand atop the college football landscape following a national championship victory. Ohio State defeated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, 34-23, in the finale of the College Football Playoff, finishing the season with a 14-2 record.

After a historic year with the Buckeyes, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has found himself at the center of a major offseason rumor. Smith has reportedly received a $4.5 million offer to transfer from the Buckeyes.

Following the news, Ohio State head coach Ryan Day commented on the current "gray area" in college football. Day believes there should be more guidelines in the sport, given potential tampering issues.

"You have to value them, do everything you can to get what they deserve and what's fair," Day said, per the Dan Patrick Show. "As coaches we're all looking for more guidelines on this, everything is so gray right now."

Amid reports of a $4.5M offer to Jeremiah Smith, Ryan Day shares his approach to player retention

"You have to value them, do everything you can to get what they deserve and what's fair.. As coaches we're all looking for more guidelines on this, everything is so gray right now." pic.twitter.com/0rIpyIER40
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) January 24, 2025

Smith is widely viewed as one of the best young players in the nation. As a true freshman for the Buckeyes, Smith recorded 15 touchdowns and 1,315 yards on 76 receptions.

Smith was named the Big Ten Wide Receiver of the Year and the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

The 19-year-old currently boasts an NIL valuation of $4 million, per On3. He's inked NIL deals with Lululemon, Red Bull and Nintendo. Smith is listed as the No. 3 player in the nation, in terms of NIL valuation.

According to On3 , Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning boasts an NIL valuation of $6.6 million and Miami Hurricanes quarterback Carson Beck boasts an NIL valuation of $4.2 million.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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