Every year, the Ohio State Buckeyes have a roster full of freaks. It's why they have been able to have so much success over the last few years. They only recruit the best players in the country, and those guys have freaky talent. Jeremiah Smith is the top of the freaks.
Bruce Feldman of The Athletic puts together a list of freaks in college football every year called the Freaks List. It's one of the few free stories that The Athletic puts out every year. While Smith is high up on the list, he also has a Buckeye that you've never heard of high on the list.
Ohio State walk-on Brenten Jones is listed on Freaks List
Walk-on Brenten "Inky" Jones is high up on the list, coming in at 29th. Feldman gives his reasons for Jones being so high up on the list.
"Last summer, both Jeremiah Smith and Sonny Styles stumped for Inky to be on this list. And with the numbers this guy keeps putting up, he definitely belongs on here. At 6-2, 216 pounds, Jones is a giant corner and gunner on special teams. He is a product of the Buckeyes program. His top-end speed is 23.52 mph. Jones, a standout basketball player in high school who set his school’s record in the 400, broad jumped 11 feet this offseason and clocked a 1.47 10-yard split. He bench pressed 385 pounds and squatted 555," Feldman wrote.
Those are some freaky numbers for a player who won't be seeing any meaningful playing time this season. The Buckeyes still appreciate what he has been doing, and clearly Smith thinks he's a freak. Styles, who is now with the Commanders, also likes what he has seen.
Jones is a junior who only played 31 snaps last season, all on special teams. In 2024, he played 113 snaps on special teams, so his playing time is actually decreasing. Still, those are impressive athleticism numbers he is showcasing during practice.
Jeremiah Smith is still the top freak on Ohio State's roster
While Jones is pretty athletic, Smith is still the top freak on the roster. Feldman has Smith second on the list, praising him for his speed at his size.
"The 6-3 1/2-inch Smith is bigger than he was last year, weighing 224 pounds. His explosiveness for that size is reminiscent of another Freak WR from South Florida, Pro Football Hall of Famer Andre Johnson. In a program stocked with high-level athletes, Smith — a super-sized wideout — ran a 1.44-second 10-yard sprint, fastest in the Buckeyes program," Feldman noted.
Smith is the best player in the country. He is the best weapon the Buckeyes have, and he will be prominently targeted all season long. He's a Heisman Trophy candidate, and Ohio State is going to do everything it can to get him the ball as much as possible.
Ohio State is one of the favorites to win the national championship in large part because of Smith's freakiness. He could be the best receiver in program history by the time this season ends.
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