James Peoples had to play his way onto Ohio State’s radar late in his high school career. Jeremiah Smith was always on every program's radar. Before he was the best wide receiver in the country, the former five-star was the best recruit in the 2024 high school class, ranked No. 1 overall out of Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Florida.
With 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns in his freshman year, it was obvious to the rest of the country that Smith was living up to the hype from the moment he stepped onto the field wearing Scarlet and Gray, but his teammates knew even earlier.
Peoples was a four-star recruit in that same 2024 recruiting cycle, and he can recall the moment he recognized that his classmate was the real deal.
Jeremiah Smith was immediately unstoppable at Ohio State
“It had to have been spring,” Peoples said in an exclusive interview with FanSided to promote his NIL partnership with Popeyes. “I don’t know if this was a team period or 7-on-7, but man, he was just headtopping everybody at spring practice. I was like ‘Oh my goodness, this guy, you throw it up to him, he’s gonna go get it regardless.”
The recruiting industry tends to have a fairly keen eye for talent, especially at the extremes, but it’s different to see that ability firsthand. Especially for the veterans on the roster who also took note of the 6-foot-3, 225-pound freshman from Florida who seemed impossible to stop.
“I think that was the moment where everybody was like ‘dang, this guy he’s got something to him,” Peoples continued. “That was probably one key point when we first got here in the spring, but you know, he’s been consistent, he’s doing the same thing now, and that’s just who he is, so proud of him.”
Smith was one of the few true freshmen from the 2024 class who became major contributors to last season’s national championship run, but with a mass exodus of veterans to graduation and the NFL in the offseason, Peoples and others have found their way onto the field during the No. 1-ranked Buckeyes’ 3-0 start in 2025.
Another is the man throwing the ball to Smith now, Julian Sayin, who was technically a transfer from Alabama after Nick Saban’s surprise retirement, but who arrived in Columbus mere weeks after Peoples, Smith, and the other early enrollees for the Buckeyes.
Julian Sayin's transition from 2024 5-star to 2025 starting QB
“I’d say he’s been handling it really well,” Peoples said of Sayin’s transition into the starting role as a redshirt freshman after sitting behind Will Howard last season and battling Lincoln Kienholz for the starting job in fall camp. “He’s been balling out right now, getting the hang of things, and everything like that, but he’s handled the pressure really well, and I don’t think it changed him at all. I think he’s been the same guy. Julian’s being Julian, and I think that’s the biggest thing.”
With Smith, Sayin, and Peoples helping to lead Brian Hartline’s offense, Ohio State will head out of its bye week and into Big Ten play with a Week 5 road trip out West to face Washington.
Peoples is currently sharing the load in the backfield with West Virginia transfer CJ Donaldson and true freshman Bo Jackson, but he’s also competing with 10 other players across the country to host the Better Popeyes tailgate celebration. Listen to the full interview for details and for Peoples’ Popeyes promo code.