Jeremiah Smith, a Florida native, never considered returning home. It was about finding the finest solution for him with the resources accessible as one of the nation’s top wide receivers.
In an exclusive interview with On3’s Chris Low, Smith, who helped the Buckeyes win a national title in his rookie year before failing to secure a repeat bid this past season, revealed astonishing details about unnamed teams (with the Miami Hurricanes being the reported frontrunner) that attempted to persuade him from returning to Columbus.
It never happened. Smith returns to the Buckeyes for his junior season, the second in which his quarterback remains the same. Julian Sayin and former NFL coach Arthur Smith will have the opportunity to fine-tune Smith’s offensive coordinator game should he decide to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft next spring.
Smith stated that he could have earned more than $10 million if he had left Ohio State, but that staying was a better choice logistically, with money not being the primary consideration.
“I wasn’t going to return home just because they defeated us and things went their way,” Smith remarked. “I mean, you see the figures and all. But, frankly, it made no sense for me to return. I have a fantastic quarterback here. I have a terrific group of teammates here. Many people returned, so it would be foolish for me to go there, and we already have a team established here. “
Coach Ryan Day complimented Smith’s thinking process throughout the difficult incident, which did not even prompt him to join the transfer portal despite the tremendous attention he garnered in advance of the eventual College Football Playoff defeat to the Hurricanes.
“Jeremiah’s family values relationships, and they understood it wasn’t all about him on the field,” Day said. Being an elite athlete has numerous implications, and I truly believe that Ohio State focuses on training the elite athlete, not only on the field.
Day also stated that Smith’s neglect by some contributes to his greatness.
I tell our younger players, “Do you want to know what it looks like to be elite? ” Look at Jeremiah. He’s the country’s finest player. Observe how he practices everyday. Look at his mentality. Look at his seriousness. Day stated that we should consider the decisions he makes off the field. “That’s the type of culture we want. “
With the potential of him leaving Ohio State for other opportunities in the past, attention has now switched to the season and all the pressure that comes with it.
By next January, we’ll know whether Smith made the right choice.
