Jeremiah Smith

Smith grew up in Miami Gardens and Hollywood, Florida. Football started early. At age seven, he tried out for the Miami Gardens Ravens youth football squad and failed to make the roster. That setback redirected his focus. Working alongside his father, Chris Smith, he overhauled his training habits and rejoined the team the following season, winning the league's equivalent of the Heisman Trophy.

Athleticism ran in the family. His cousin, Geno Smith, plays quarterback in the NFL. Beyond football, Smith competed in track and field at Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School. During his junior year, he won FHSAA Class 2A state championships in both the 110-meter and 400-meter hurdles.

Smith emerged as a top receiver at Chaminade-Madonna. As a sophomore, he caught 31 passes for 667 yards and seven touchdowns. His production surged the next year. He posted 58 receptions for 1,073 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. As a senior, he earned All-American Bowl Player of the Year honors.

Recruiting analysts rated him the consensus top prospect in the 2024 high school class. He became the highest-graded wide receiver recruit of the modern era, eclipsing previous benchmarks set by Julio Jones and Dorial Green-Beckham. Alabama was his childhood dream school, but the program never recruited him. He committed to Ohio State over offers from Florida, Georgia, Miami, Florida State, and USC.

Smith made an immediate impact in Columbus. In his collegiate debut against Akron, he caught six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns. He became the first freshman at Ohio State to earn the program's Iron Buckeye award for offseason conditioning.

Strong performances followed throughout the 2024 season. Against Oregon in the 2025 Rose Bowl, he earned MVP honors after catching seven passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Smith finished the season with 76 receptions, 1,315 receiving yards, and 15 touchdowns. That output set NCAA Division I FBS true-freshman records for receiving yards and touchdown catches. He helped lead the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff national championship. He also earned Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Receiver of the Year honors.

Smith maintained his production in 2025. Against Penn State in week ten, he caught a tipped pass from Julian Sayin with one hand for an 11-yard touchdown. He finished the season with 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns, earning unanimous All-American honors and a second Big Ten Receiver of the Year award.

In September 2024, Smith became the first college football player to sign an NIL deal with Red Bull. He followed with an Adidas marketing agreement in July 2025. EA Sports also selected Smith as a cover athlete for College Football 26 alongside Ryan Coleman-Williams.