Three things to love about the Ohio State football team's opening win vs. Akron
By Ryan Stano
2. Jeremiah Smith looks like the next Ohio State football superstar
It's hard to live up to the type of hype that Jeremiah Smith had placed upon him this offseason. The true freshman was billed as the next great Ohio State receiver. He was the top recruit in the country and was expected to play like it right away considering he's already a starter.
Smith delivered. Against Akron, he had six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns. He was the first freshman Ohio State receiver to have two touchdowns since 1996. He did all of that despite dropping his first pass. Smith showed what he was able to do even as a freshman.
Smith could already be the best receiver on the roster for the Ohio State Buckeyes. That's on a roster with Emeka Egbuka and Carnell Tate too. Egbuka is likely going to be a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and Tate is a former five-star recruit in his own right.
As the year goes along, Smith is only going to get better. As his chemistry with Howard increases, he's going to make more and more big plays. He's such a physical specimen that other teams are not going to be able to stop him, especially with so many other options for the Buckeyes.
I'd expect Smith to be one of the top freshmen in the country by the time the year is over. He might end up being the best one period. He's that talented. The last thing to love about the first game of the season has to do with the defense.