It’s not hard to find someone who speaks highly of Ohio State star receiver Jeremiah Smith, and former OSU linebacker Ryan Shazier is the latest to do so.
The former Buckeye compared Smith to some all-time sports greats. He talked about the mindset that Smith brings to practice and games and said that Smith is special in that aspect.
“Jeremiah has the Kobe Bryant mentality, that ‘job’s-never-finished’ mentality. He understands how good he is, but he understands he can also get better,” Shazier said, per Kyle Odegard of Casino Guru News. “He wants to be the best in the world at what he does.
“He knows in college he’s not the best in the world. I think that’s one of the reasons he’s humble, and his upbringing causes him to be humble. It still bothers him he got cut from his little league team. When guys are that petty, it makes them want to continue to get better.”
That mentality has obviously worked out for Smith so far, who has put up 163 catches in two seasons for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns, well on the way to breaking all-time receiving records at Ohio State.
But it’s not only the mindset that helps Smith. Shazier talked about the 6-3, 223-pound frame that the rising junior brings to the field that helps him overpower opposing defenders, also noting the speed that can get him into the open field.
“He’s not as big as Calvin Johnson, but he’s a Calvin Johnson-type guy,” Shazier said. “Everybody he lines up against, they look at him. This dude is 240 pounds basically, and when he runs by you, it’s like, ‘He’s running by me?’ And when you try to push him, you can’t, because he’s stronger than you.
“He’s one of those guys like LeBron. He’s blessed with the body style he has, but he also has the work ethic like LeBron, like Calvin Johnson. It allows them to be such an amazing athlete, a superior athlete. The only reason he won’t go No. 1 is if there is a run on quarterbacks.”
Shazier’s comments and comparisons come soon after NFL draft expert Todd McShay said that he believes Smith could be the best receiver in NFL history.
