Jeremiah Smith Made Major Career Decision During College Football Offseason

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Jeremiah Smith Made Major Career Decision During College Football Offseason

The Ohio State Buckeyes are coming off a 2025 college football season in which they posted a 12-2 record, losing only to the two CFP final participants—against the Indiana Hoosiers in the Big Ten Championship, and against the Miami Hurricanes in the CFP quarterfinal.

Ohio State is entering the 2026 season with one of the most talented rosters in college football after retaining most of it throughout the offseason and, most importantly, bringing back its best player for a third season.

That’d be wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, whose production over two years has placed him among the most dominant players in the country.

Smith has totaled 163 receptions for 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns during that stretch, establishing himself as a focal point in Ohio State’s offense and turning him into the leading contender for the 2026 Heisman Trophy award.

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) before the College Football Playoff game vs. Miami© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In an interview with On3’s Chris Low, Smith revealed that multiple programs reached out to his agent after the Buckeyes’ run to the 2024 national championship and then again after last year’s CFP loss.

“Teams were telling my agent they had a certain amount of money for me to come there,” Smith said. “Over 10 million dollars, easy. But that’s not how I operate.”

Despite the financial interest, Smith never entered the portal and made his decision to remain at Ohio State early, even with an inquiry coming from his hometown Miami Hurricanes.

“No reason to go back home, not when I’m at the best place in the country,” Smith said. “I came to Ohio State for a reason, to win championships, develop as a player and a person and keep building on this legacy.

“That’s why you come to Ohio State. It’s the best decision I’ve ever made, but there’s still some unfinished business.”

Smith added that returning to South Florida, where programs like Miami showed interest, was never a serious option.

“I might have grown up in South Florida, but I’m a Buckeye. That’s not changing. I wasn’t going anywhere.”

Smith discussed the Miami interest and his rejection of it, even after last year’s loss to the Hurricanes in the Cotton Bowl.

“Just because they beat us and things went their way, I wasn’t going back home,” Smith said. “I have a good quarterback here. I have a good group of teammates here. A lot of people came back, so it would look stupid for me to go there, and we have a team here that’s already built.”

Smith remains one of the highest-paid athletes in college football through existing NIL deals, with a NIL value of $4.2 million, according to On3, and only trailing Texas quarterback Arch Manning.

Related: Ohio State, Ryan Day Get Positive Message from Former No. 1 QB Recruit

This story was originally published by Athlon Sports on Apr 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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