Jeremiah Smith and Ohio State’s first touchdown of the season was a beauty.

Smith, a former 5-star receiver and a freshman for the Buckeyes, sure didn’t look like a freshman on this play. Kansas State transfer Will Howard threw a great ball to the front corner of the end zone, which Smith adjusted to masterfully. It goes down as a 16-yard scoring play and Ohio States first on the 2024 calendar.

Check it out below:

Smith has been as advertised thus far, folks. He’s already hauled in 3 receptions for 35 yards and the above score through the first 15 minutes of this game, and early he’s looked like the best player on the field. That’s rare for a true freshman, even one as highly-touted as he.

Some Ohio State fans might tell you this wasn’t technically Ohio State’s first touchdown of the season. A few plays before Smith’s touchdown, fellow receiver Emeka Egbuka very nearly pulled off a SC Top 10 play, contorting slightly to touch his hand to the ground as his legs fell out of bounds. Unfortunately for Egbuka, officials ruled he did not maintain possession of the ball through contact with the ground. In this writer’s opinion, it was the right call.

You be the judge. Was this a catch?

Regardless, Ohio State leads Akron 7-3 at the end of the first quarter.