Jeremiah Smith was expected to make an early impact at Ohio State. After Thursday’s announcement, it looks like the 5-star freshman is well on his way to achieving that goal.

On Thursday, Ohio State officially revealed the first player to lose his black stripe in the spring is indeed Smith. A 5-star wide receiver and the nation’s No. 1 recruit in the class of 2024, Smith should slide into the immediate receiving rotation this fall.

“First off, I want to thank God, coach (Brian) Hartline, Zone 6, and BIA, going against y’all every day. Go Bucks,” exclaimed Smith after receiving the honor.

Early impressions of Smith

To call the announcement unsurprising would be an understatement. While some highly touted players arrive with baggage or a certain entitled mindset, all accounts out of Columbus are that Smith has worked his way into an immediate opportunity.

Hartline, Ohio State’s elite and highly regarded wide receivers coach, has not held back his praise of Smith’s talent and work ethic:

“I love the way he lives, the way he approaches things, I love the way — the questions he asks. I love the way he makes mistakes and then corrects mistakes. It’s very veteran-like,” said Hartline via Lantern Sports.

Hartline admitted there is still a lot to learn for Smith, but the young wideout is already doing so many things that work at a high level:

“There’s so much ball he has to learn. He literally does so many things that are good, and I’m like ‘Do you know why that works?’ And he says ‘Coach, I have no freaking idea.’ Trying to teach him all of that, why it works, and then the consistency at which it works just goes through the roof,” Hartline explained.

As for his 2024 outlook, Smith is expected to play a big role as the Buckeyes look to replace their top 2 receivers and 3 of their top 4 from last season. Emeka Egbuka (515 yards) and Carnell Tate (264 yards) are the top returners, and Smith is expected to play a role this fall as the offense looks to rebound.

If Smith makes the immediate impact that is expected of him, Ohio State should be line for a big bounce back offensively. Fans can track the latest national championship odds and trends with Tradition’s Ohio betting apps.