It seems that Ohio State junior receiver Jeremiah Smith has a bright future ahead of him in the NFL. Smith, who is eligible to declare for the 2027 NFL draft, received effusive praise from NFL draft analyst Todd McShay of the Ringer on the “McShay show.”
McShay said Smith is among the best wide receiver prospects he’s ever graded and even said he has a higher grade on Smith as a prospect than he did former Buckeye star and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., NFL star and current Bengals receiver Ja’Marr Chase and seven-time pro bowl receiver A.J. Green.
McShay said he had a slightly higher grade on former Detroit Lions superstar receiver Calvin Johnson when he was a prospect, but still said Smith has the chance to be one of the greatest receivers in the history of the sport.
“He could be the best receiver in the history of the National Football League,” McShay said of Smith. “And now he has a quarterback in his second year. All of the coverage in the world is going to be all over him, but he’ll get his spots and I can’t wait to see him in the League.”
Smith was the No. 1 overall recruit out of the 2024 class and has exceeded the lofty expectations bestowed upon him by recruiting experts. Over two seasons, Smith has hauled in 163 receptions for 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns.
“If he’s not the first positional player taken outside of quarterback, I’ll be blown away,” McShay said.
Smith, a 6-3, 223-pound receiver, has all the physical attributes a receiver could hope for. McShay pointed out that he possesses a very unique combination of physicality, speed and proficiency as a route-runner. Equally important as his physical talent may be his work ethic. Very early on in his career, Smith proved he was special when he had his black stripe removed quicker than any freshman in program history.
Since then, Smith has only bolstered his reputation as one of the hardest workers in program history, earning Iron Buckeye honors four times during his career.
“He loves this game,” McShay said. “Talk to people in Columbus, he wants to be the greatest to ever do this… He knows it’s in him, so he’s going to go get it.”
McShay said Smith has a desire for greatness also possessed by Johnson and former Ohio State receiver Cris Carter, who also enjoyed a Hall of Fame NFL career.
“There’s a yearning to be Michael Jordan, there’s a yearning to be the (legendary golfer) Tiger Woods of his craft, to be (former NBA superstar Kobe Bryant),” McShay said of legendary receivers, such as Johnson, Carter and Randy Moss. “All of these guys have this something that burns inside of them that’s different, and (Smith) has that too.”
