Jeremiah Smith's Presence Helped Ohio State Buckeyes Land Key Recruit

The Ohio State Buckeyes secure yet another major recruiting win this week, landing a commitment from four-star cornerback Jordan Thomas.

Thomas explained why he chose Ohio State over all of the other top schools that were trying to woo him, and he cited superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith as a big reason for his decision.

“I would say to go to Ohio State and compete with some of the best athletes in the nation. I want to be the best,” Thomas told On 3. “That’s somewhere I would love to compete against Jeremiah Smith, Chris Henry Jr., my former teammate Quincy Porter. Iron sharpens iron. There’s no better place to be than Ohio State.”

Smith himself arrived at Columbus as a five-star recruit last year and was viewed by many as the best wide receiver to ever come through Ohio State at the time. Some even considered him the top receiver prospect in football history.

The 19-year-old flashed tremendous ability during his freshman campaign, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, good for an average of 17.3 yards per catch.

Now, Thomas—a class of 2026 commit—will get to match up with Smith in practice next year, which should definitely represent a terrific learning experience for the Oradell, N.J. native.

Thomas is 17th-ranked cornerback in the country and the 176th-ranked player overall, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

The Buckeyes could definitely use a cornerback, as that is one position that has given them some trouble recently. We'll see if Thomas can step in and make an immediate impact in 2026.