OSU's Jeremiah Smith would have been a Hurricane if Miami won more

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith would have been a Hurricane if Miami won more

By Anthony Farris | Last updated Dec 29, 2025 1:14 PM ET

What could have been.

That’s the thought that must be running through the minds of Miami Hurricanes fans after built-in-a-lab Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith admitted Monday that he likely would have been a Hurricane if the Canes had more on-field success while Smith was in high school.

"I’d (have) probably ended up going to Miami if things was on the right track then and there," Smith said during Cotton Bowl media availability. "But I chose to stick with Ohio State."

Smith’s comment came after he was asked if his decision to commit to Ohio State would have been different if Miami had won more or played in games like the Cotton Bowl around the time that he was making his college choice.

If Miami had won more or played in games like this during Jeremiah Smith’s high school career, would he be a Hurricane right now?

He said yes. pic.twitter.com/iaOehXDA6P
— Ari Wasserman (@AriWasserman) December 29, 2025

Why Jeremiah Smith ended up at Ohio State over Miami

Partnering with Miami, which plays the Buckeyes in the College Football Playoff on New Year's Eve, would’ve been a natural fit. The sensational sophomore is from Miami Gardens, Fla., and attended Miami Central Senior High School before finishing his prep career at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory. But aside from a 10-win season during 2024, the Hurricanes hadn’t hit double-digit wins in a season since 2017. National title contention was an afterthought.

At Ohio State, it’s been national championship or bust over the last decade plus. Miami’s past struggles were Ohio State’s gain. All Smith has done in two seasons in Columbus is make two All-American teams, catch 26 touchdown passes and earn Rose Bowl MVP honors. Smith and the Buckeyes, of course, also combined to win the 2024 national championship.

Few would argue that Smith made a mistake when he opted to leave the comforts of his Florida surroundings for the unknown at Ohio State, which is now widely considered Wide Receiver U. Which means he did end up at a version of The U after all.

Anthony Farris

Anthony is an Ohio-based writer with more than a decade of writing experience, including stops at FanSided, OutKick, and others. He's a fan of all Cleveland sports, which has, in turn, resulted in high blood pressure and what some might consider a drinking problem. Again, blame Cleveland

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