Jeremiah Smith Named Big Ten Freshman, WR of the Year

© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch/USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State superstar freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was named the Big Ten Conference's Richter-Howard Receiver of the Year on Dec. 2. Smith was also awarded the Thompson-Randle El Award, given to the B1G Freshman of the Year.

He is the third-straight Buckeye to win the conference's WR of the year, with Marvin Harrison Jr. winning the previous two seasons. Smith is also only the second player in history to win both awards in the same season, joining former Purdue WR Rondale Moore.

Jeremiah Smith's 2024 Impact

Smith turned heads the second he stepped foot onto the practice field at Ohio State as a freshman. Head coach Ryan Day would confirm Smith to be a starter in the season opener when questioned about it during fall camp. However, Smith has been much more than just a starter. He is the Buckeyes' leader for receiving yards and touchdowns this year with 934 yards and 10 TDs. He is only 3 receptions behind team leader Emeka Egbuka with 57. His receiving numbers also broke every Ohio State freshman record by a wide margin. Smith has also added 47 rushing yards and 1 TD on the ground

Smith has been a true No. 1 WR in every aspect this season. He is an incredible route runner and has also shown top-tier speed before and after the catch. He turned a short hitch into a 70-yard TD against Western Michigan early in the year. He has really made a name for himself with his wide array of highlight-reel one-handed catches this season. He had two incredible grabs back-to-back against Michigan State (5-7, 3-6) on Sept. 28. He pulled down a pass from quarterback Will Howard over two defenders, with one even grabbing his facemask during the catch. He then beat his defender again just moments later and brought in a one-handed TD. He followed that performance with another single-handed TD catch against Iowa (8-4, 6-3) the next week. His ability to consistently bring in ridiculous and difficult receptions is like nothing fans have ever seen.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Smith's performance this season has been his volume and usage. He has seemingly been Howard's go-to target from the start this year. When the Buckeyes find themselves in a must-have third down, Smith will run a perfect route directly at the line-to-gain and will find the ball coming his way. The trust the team put in him early on spoke volumes to his talent and already robust skill despite his age and inexperience at this level. In a long list of future-NFL WRs that coach Brian Hartline has brought to Ohio State, Smith may just stand out above the rest.