Kirk Herbstreit Says This 20-Year-Old Wide Receiver Might Be the Best Ever

NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...

This wide receiver is a perfect example of “age is just a number.” At 20, while many youngsters fight for relevance and look for opportunity or don’t even care about the future, this kid is already putting his name on the list of best wide receivers of college football, and no one believes it more than Kirk Herbstreit.

“How do you not love that guy? I mean, he might be the best receiver we’ve ever seen right now,” ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit said on The Devil’s in the Detail Podcast.

Well, Kirk Herbstreit knows what he is talking about. Even before playing his first game in college, Jeremiah Smith was already a big name. People in Columbus believed he would become the next great Ohio State receiver. As the No. 1 recruit, he came in with very high expectations, even though he was just a freshman.

His ceiling was obviously high long before he even arrived in Columbus. Evaluators ranked him as the highest-rated wideout in modern recruiting history, placing his potential above legends like Julio Jones. That rare physical baseline was exactly why analysts were projecting his all-time greatness.

In his first game though, he ended up making a mistake. During a play against Akron, the quarterback threw the ball at him, but he dropped it. However, this was his only drop for the whole season, and thereafter, Smith showed what he is actually capable of.

Surpassing local school records was just the beginning. He did not just dominate the Big Ten, but shattered the all-time NCAA FBS freshman receiving record. Putting up those historic national numbers against elite defenses proved he could end up in the conversation for the greatest ever.

He even broke freshman records at Ohio State, and he showed that even a first-year player can perform at a very high level. Ohio State’s head coach already saw that talent in him, and he couldn’t hold back his praise of Smith.

“You can see the talent,” Ryan Day said. “Sometimes you look at him, and you don’t think he’s quite human, but he is. He’s just built different.”

He already had the best tag dedicated to his name even before Herbstreit gave it to him. As he was voted “Best Football Player” and “Best Male Athlete” by Lantern readers in the “Best of OSU” poll. Smith grew up in Opa-locka, near Miami, where football is very popular. From a young age, he’s been a standout prospect because of his 6’3 frame and athletic ability.

Jeremiah Smith capped off his prep career leading Chaminade-Madonna to an undefeated 14-0 season. That immediate dominance translated perfectly into college, where he instantly built a lethal and title-winning chemistry with future Steelers quarterback Will Howard.

Smith’s recruitment was a high-stakes, two-year battle that saw the nation’s No. 1 overall prospect be courted by every major program. He originally committed to Ohio State early in the process, around December 2022, due to the program’s reputation for developing elite NFL receivers under coach Brian Hartline.

Even after his commitment, Smith continued to take visits to Florida, Florida State, and Miami. The Hurricanes, in particular, were viewed as a major threat to flip him, as it was his hometown team. On the eve of Early Signing Day, Smith later revealed he was “50-50” between Ohio State and Miami. He reportedly had both a Buckeyes and a Hurricanes hat in his bag just minutes before his announcement ceremony.

Smith ultimately chose the Buckeyes because of their consistent track record of producing first-round NFL draft picks at his position. He admitted later that if Miami had been more successful on the field at the time, he might have stayed home to play for the Hurricanes.

In his career so far, he has played 25 games and scored 25 touchdowns, which is the fastest any Ohio State player has ever done, breaking David Boston’s record. Last season, he recorded 87 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns, which puts him among the top players in the country. Because he has delivered impressive performances consistently, people believe he’s a strong candidate for the Heisman Trophy, something no Ohio State player has achieved since Troy Smith. But even after grabbing so much attention, a lot of praise, and recognition, Jeremiah Smith stays grounded.

Jeremiah Smith’s ultimate motivation

One person played the biggest role in making Jeremiah Smith such a great football player. Though his support system involves many people, like his coaches, but the most important influence comes from his family. Some people think it is his cousin, NFL player Geno Smith. But that is not true. The real reason is his father.

His high school coach, Daemon Jones, clearly says that his father, Chris Smith, is the main person behind his growth.

“His dad was one of those parents over the years who never complained about anything,” Jones said last year. “He instilled that in him early, so when J.J. (Jeremiah) got older, it was the norm. That’s what he was used to, no matter if Dad was around or not. That’s what he did.”

That showed up early in him, as Jeremiah Smith believes that just having talent is not enough to be great. He knows that if someone wants to succeed, they must work harder than everyone else and show it through their actions.

His father, Chris Smith, taught him this way of thinking from a young age. Jeremiah Smith has followed those early lessons closely, becoming a top player and having an amazing set of two seasons. He also credited his father for his strong work ethic, saying, “I get it from my dad.” His family likes to stay simple and steers away from attention, even though he is one of the biggest names in college football.

All thanks to his father, who makes sure Jeremiah Smith stays grounded. All those efforts are paying off big time, as their kid is not just a reason behind Ohio State’s championship win in 2024 but also an unstoppable force in the game.

More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos