Three Ohio State football backups who should see significant playing time

3. Jeremiah Smith

No freshman has had more hype surrounding him this Spring than Jeremiah Smith. He has made some ridiculous catches in practice and looks like an absolute stud. Smith was the number-one player in the country in the 2024 recruiting class for a reason.

Even with Marvin Harrison Jr. headed to the NFL, the receiver room is still very packed with talent. Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate are locked into the top two spots at the receiver spot. Egbuka is the clear-cut number one guy and will be a first-round pick next year.

Smith is still in a fight with Jayden Ballard and Brandon Inniss for the third receiver position so he still has a shot to be a starter. Based on what we saw in the Spring Game, Ballard has the inside track to grab the slot job. I don't think that will last long into the season.

Smith is just too talented to keep him on the bench. He's going to play in every single game this year and not just in blowouts. He's going to play snaps that matter. I wouldn't be surprised if he made some big plays this year that helps the Buckeyes win games.

As long as Will Howard can get him the ball, Smith is going to tear it up. It may not be early in the year, but when he gets comfortable he's going to be a true weapon for this Ohio State offense. That's one of the things that makes the Ohio State football team so dangerous this season.

All of these guys should be a big part of the success of the Buckeyes this year. It's going to be a fun season.