'You're rendered powerless' – Key Tennessee Vols player gets real about Ohio State Buckeyes WR Jeremiah Smith
When the Tennessee Vols played the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus in the first round of the College Football Playoff, they quickly learned that the hype surrounding true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was legit. Ohio State quarterback Will Howard connected with Smith for a 37-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the Buckeyes' 42-17 […]
When the Tennessee Vols played the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus in the first round of the College Football Playoff, they quickly learned that the hype surrounding true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith was legit.
Ohio State quarterback Will Howard connected with Smith for a 37-yard touchdown less than three minutes into the Buckeyes' 42-17 route of the Volunteers.
Smith finished the game with six receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns.
Vols defensive lineman Omarr Norman-Lott, a potential early round selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, was asked this week at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis about Tennessee's loss to the Buckeyes and who stood out for Ohio State.
Norman-Lott quickly pointed out Smith as someone who impressed him.
"Who stood out (for Ohio State)? We got blown out of the water, so I'd probably say the whole team," said Norman-Lott. "Maybe the young wide receiver (Jeremiah Smith), he's not to be messed with. You're, like, rendered powerless. You're doing anything you can to stop him. But it's a man versus man game. And that day, he was the better man."
Smith left quite a few players in college football feeling that way last season.
The former five-star recruit finished his true freshman season with a truly insane stat line — 76 receptions for 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns (Smith also had a rushing touchdown in 2024).
It's unbelievable that Smith was playing against high school competition just a year ago (gotta feel bad for anyone he played against at the high school level…I'm sure they all got completely cooked by the ridiculously talented wide receiver).
The good news for the rest of college football is that Smith will be terrorizing defensive backs in the NFL in the not-too-distant future. The bad news is that he still has at least two years left in an Ohio State jersey before he makes the jump to the NFL.
Good luck if you're an opposing defensive coordinator that has to game plan against Smith.
