Ohio State Target’s Girlfriend Leaves Jeremiah Smith in Uncomfortable Spot

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

Ohio State’s Cotton Bowl exit flipped the switch. Ryan Day and the Buckeyes are already reloading for 2026. And there’s no room for half measures. Elite recruits are the target, and Ohio State’s biggest weapon is leading the charge. Jeremiah Smith, the nation’s No. 1 player, has quietly taken on a recruiter’s role during visits. His loyalty to OSU cemented the Buckeyes’ wide-receiver legacy. Now, the 20-year-old has revealed just how far he had to go to make sure the next stars choose Columbus.

“Actually, we had a recruit, and I was just talking about this,” Smith said during a conversation with Liam Blutman. “There’s a recruit that came in there, and he was like, can you say hi to my girlfriend, like for a video? I’m like, your girlfriend? What do you say hi to your girlfriend for?

When Blutman asked him point-blank whether he actually did it, Smith didn’t dodge the question. He admitted it with a laugh, saying, “I did it. But it was kinda weird.”

It honestly doesn’t get wilder than this. Jeremiah Smith is the face of the program right now, so using him as the ultimate recruiting pitch is about as smart as it gets from Ryan Day. Still, it’s pretty bizarre seeing the lengths Smith has to go to just to make sure the roster is bulletproof. That said, you can’t really blame the recruit, or his girlfriend, for making such an… interesting request.

Smith arrived in Columbus in 2024 as a five-star and was instantly hyped as maybe the best wide receiver Ohio State had ever landed. Some even tagged him as the greatest receiver prospect in football history. Then came his freshman season. The Heisman buzz, the dominance, the constant highlights, it all but confirmed that Ohio State is still the fast lane to stardom for elite receivers.

Recruits have taken notice. Class of 2026 cornerback Jordan Thomas straight-up said the chance to line up against guys like Smith in practice played a huge role in picking Ohio State. That’s the power Smith carries.

But even with all that, casually saying ‘hi’ to another recruit’s girlfriend during a campus visit definitely wasn’t on Jeremiah Smith’s 2026 bingo card. Yet here we are. Now the only real question left is whether that awkward moment turns into a Buckeyes commitment, or just another unforgettable recruiting story.

Jeremiah Smith is a man on a mission

Jeremiah Smith has earned just about every ounce of respect this season as the go-to wideout for a college football powerhouse. The only thing missing from his résumé? The Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation’s best receiver. That honor ended up going to USC’s Makai Lemon, largely because Smith missed a full game and part of another with injury, while Lemon posted slightly better regular-season numbers and advanced metrics.

But if there’s one thing Smith doesn’t do, it’s let the disrespect slide by. In the 2026 season, the 20-year-old has his eyes set on something much bigger. Appearing on I AM ATHLETE, Smith made it clear that he’s not chasing stats; he’s chasing trophies.

“No, I don’t really care about stats,” Smith said. “But as you said, the Biletnikoff, that’s probably one. I want to win a Heisman, but you know that that’s mainly a quarterback award.”

To make his point, Smith drew a comparison from DeVonta Smith’s legendary 2020 season with 117 catches, 1,856 yards, and 23 touchdowns as the blueprint. That’s the thing he’s aiming for, and he’s embracing the challenge head-on.

“Going into my junior year, I’m going to just be on go like every game,” he said. “I feel like this year they took something from me, and everybody got paid for it.”

Despite the Cotton Bowl loss to Miami and plenty of transfer portal buzz, especially given his Miami roots, Smith shut down any exit talk fast. He’s staying put, fueled by a chip on his shoulder and a point to prove.

The post Ohio State Target’s Girlfriend Leaves Jeremiah Smith in Uncomfortable Spot appeared first on EssentiallySports.

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