Jeremiah Smith's Brother Gives Candid Reason for Choosing Ohio State

The three-star Smith named off three Buckeyes who persuaded his decision.

Coach [Ryan] Day, coach Walt [secondary coach, co-defensive coordinator Tim Walton], and coach 'G' [safeties coach Matt Guerrieri] all played a part in me committing," Smith told Loy, claiming they made a run at him on day one. "They wanted me to be a part of something special."

Smith added how OSU "already felt like home to me."

The versatile Smith clarified that the WR1 of the Buckeyes was not the reason why those coaches made a run at him.

Rather, they prioritized him for his accolades on and off the field.

Ohio State Gaining Future Leader

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Smith described his game as "vocal" at the safety spot. He's big on communication and leader others.

Andrew Ivins of 247Sports recognized the verbal leadership of Smith in his scouting report.

"Deep safety that lacks size, but makes up for it with his football IQ and a 91 speed score," Ivins began.

The national scouting analyst loves Smith's physicality too.

"Surprisingly physical for a defender of his stature, as he strikes in the open field and can wrangle larger ball carriers to the ground," Ivins added. "Spent much of sophomore year working out of a single-high look for Florida's 1A champions, where he flashed impressive range. On the younger side for the grade, and could undergo a major physical transformation in the coming years, much like his older brother."

Smith broke up 11 passes in 2024 and grabbed three interceptions. Miami represented his next biggest offer -- as the Hurricanes rose up to No. 2 in the nation following their 26-7 romp of Florida Saturday. Oklahoma State was Smith's other power conference offer.

But he's now the third verbal commit for Ohio State's '27 class alongside California quarterback Brady Edmunds and athlete Jamier Brown.