Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith a ‘generational talent’

Jack Daniels had by no means witnessed a catch prefer it.

The South Florida highschool coach of 35 years was taking part in Chaminade-Madonna — and future Ohio State broad receiver Jeremiah Smith — within the playoffs.

“They have been already up on us fairly good, they usually had the operating again throw the ball,” Daniels recalled. “And [Smith] went up — I feel he was about 5 ft over the goalpost over a child that was a Energy 4 nook [Kevin Levy, who is now at Rutgers]. … It was simply unimaginable.”

The Cardinal Newman coach has confronted dozens of future NFL broad receivers over time, together with Professional Soccer Corridor of Famer Devin Hester and Tremendous Bowl champion Anquan Boldin.

But to Daniels, Smith stands alone.

“He’s head and shoulders, by far, the perfect I’ve ever seen,” mentioned Daniels, evaluating Smith’s highschool prowess to that of Baltimore Ravens MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson, who hailed from Boynton Seaside Neighborhood Excessive College.

“There’s been nothing like him.”

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Archbishop Carroll coach Jorge Zagales, who additionally misplaced to Chaminade within the playoffs, recollects just one opposing participant over his three a long time on the sidelines who may dominate like Smith.

“I coached towards Sean Taylor. … and Jeremiah is true there, if not the identical as Sean Taylor,” Zagales mentioned of the previous Professional Bowl security from Gulliver Prep, who died at 24. “Sean Taylor most likely would’ve been a Corridor of Famer. I really feel that is the way in which Jeremiah is headed.”

Clearwater Central Catholic coach Chris Harvey grew up in West Virginia watching Randy Moss play for DuPont Excessive College. As a coach, Harvey hadn’t come throughout anybody like Moss — till he met Smith within the Florida state championship sport.

“You noticed what [Moss] did to skilled DBs, so think about what he did to DBs in West Virginia in highschool,” Harvey mentioned. “I really like my dwelling state. However we’re not West Virginia in Florida. We have got dudes — and Jeremiah Smith made us appear to be the West Virginia highschool DBs.”

All of that may sound hyperbolic.

Besides seven video games into his freshman season at Ohio State, Smith — nonetheless simply 18 years previous — is already certainly one of school soccer’s finest broad receivers, alongside Alabama freshman phenom Ryan Williams and Colorado Heisman Trophy contender Travis Hunter.

“His bodily abilities (6-foot-3, 215 kilos) are sort of incomparable for somebody at that age, but it surely’s his maturity degree that has set him aside. There’s quite a lot of guys that would get caught up in that hype. You do not see that out of him,” mentioned Ohio State offensive coordinator and former NFL head coach Chip Kelly, who famous that Smith carries on like a “10-year NFL veteran.”

“How he approaches conferences, how he approaches practices,” Kelly mentioned, “it is uncommon.”

Regardless of taking part in on an Ohio State offense loaded with future execs, together with operating backs Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson, and preseason All-American broad receiver Emeka Egbuka, Smith leads the Buckeyes with 623 receiving yards on 35 receptions.

Final week, Smith tied Cris Carter’s Ohio State freshman file set in 1984 together with his eighth landing catch, blowing by the Nebraska protection for a 60-yard rating.

On Saturday, in a Huge Ten showdown towards third-ranked Penn State, Smith wants solely seven receptions and 26 receiving yards to interrupt Carter’s different freshman program information, although he is nonetheless nicely behind Michael Crabtree’s nationwide freshman receiving information at Texas Tech in 2007 (134 catches for 1,962 yards and 22 touchdowns).

Smith has reached the tip zone in each sport this season, highlighted by his dazzling one-handed landing grabs towards Michigan State and Iowa.

TWO UNBELIEVEABLE ONE-HANDED CATCHES BY JEREMIAH SMITH 🤯

THEY CAN’T GUARD HIM 👀 pic.twitter.com/vGUUs6rn41

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024

To those that confronted Smith in highschool, these spectacular catches are nothing new.

Of their state championship sport, Harvey assumed Chaminade quarterback CJ Bailey was throwing the ball away.

“Then from nowhere comes this arm,” Harvey mentioned. “And [Smith] pulls it again in for a landing, like Stretch Armstrong. It was undoubtedly probably the greatest catches I’ve ever seen. However the factor about it’s, he does that so typically, he does not even get enthusiastic about it.”

Harvey and Clearwater Catholic misplaced the previous two state championship video games to Chaminade by a mixed rating of 104-14. Smith caught 11 passes for 170 yards within the second title matchup on the way in which to a 56-0 victory for Chaminade’s third state championship in a row.

Afterward, South Florida College coach Alex Golesh, who was in attendance, consoled Harvey, telling him, “That is simply what occurs whenever you’re taking part in a generational expertise.”

“And that is what he’s,” Harvey mentioned. “And outdoors of Randy Moss, I’ve by no means seen an individual have the power to take over a sport at that place the way in which he did.”

Smith did not attain that degree accidentally.

North Carolina operating again Davion Gause, who grew up with Smith and performed with him at Chaminade, recalled Smith being minimize from their youth soccer workforce 11 years in the past.

“He nonetheless got here to the park day by day and watched us follow, taking part in catch together with his dad the entire time,” Gause mentioned. “When he got here again the subsequent yr, he was a unique participant.”

Bailey, who performed on a unique youth workforce, remembered Smith dominating within the championship sport that following yr.

“He was killing us,” mentioned Bailey, now NC State’s beginning quarterback.

Bailey, Gause and Smith later joined forces at Chaminade, forming one of many nation’s prime highschool groups. Chaminade coach Dameon Jones mentioned he’d hadn’t had a participant extra dedicated who labored more durable in follow than Smith.

“His mindset, the way in which it’s to be so younger, is loopy,” mentioned Jones, who coached Miami Dolphins quarterback Tyler Huntley and Cincinnati Bengals operating again Zack Moss. “I’ve simply by no means seen it earlier than. … He is the full package deal.”

As a junior, Smith was hampered by a hip flexor harm. Jones pleaded with Smith to take off a few practices to permit the hip to heal.

“He bought pissed at me,” Jones mentioned. “He advised me, ‘I am not lacking follow. I am not lacking reps.'”

Smith introduced that work ethic to Columbus. This summer time, he turned Ohio State’s first freshman to be named an “Iron Buckeye,” given to the highest performers in offseason exercises.

“Jeremiah is already a freak within the weight room,” mentioned Egbuka, who additionally earned the consideration.

The one-handed catches, nonetheless, have been what have set Smith aside this season.

After Odell Beckham Jr. made his well-known one-handed landing snag for the New York Giants in 2014, Gause remembered Smith toiling endlessly trying to re-create it.

Later at Chaminade, Smith and teammate Joshisa Dealer, who’s now a receiver at Miami, labored on their one-handed catches with the jug machines every day. Jones would get irritated when gamers would attempt to catch with one hand in video games. However after watching how rigorously Smith practiced them, Jones needed to relent.

“The stuff y’all are seeing proper now in school with them one-handed catches,” Bailey mentioned, “I’ve seen manner, manner crazier issues from him.”

A kind of one-handed catches got here throughout a victory over Miami Central on ESPN.

“[He] would simply kill different defenses,” mentioned Pitt defensive finish Zachary Crothers, who additionally performed for Chaminade. “You might inform defenses have been scared. They didn’t wish to be on the market.”

Bailey knew Smith can be particular throughout their first 7-on-7 event collectively; Smith initially had performed at Monsignor Edward Tempo earlier than transferring to Chaminade as a sophomore. The Lions have been down a rating, and time was operating out.

“We bought a play referred to as,” Bailey mentioned. “It is a clutch second. However [Smith] walks as much as the [offensive coordinator] and says, ‘I need a fade.’ Coach says, ‘All proper, let him run a fade.'”

Bailey lofted the ball to Smith, who introduced the go down over the defender for a landing. Chaminade then went for 2 to win the sport.

“And we by no means misplaced a 7-on-7 event,” Bailey mentioned. “With him, I’ve seen all of it.”

Regardless of changing into the No. 1-ranked highschool receiver within the nation, Smith solely requested Jones for the ball one time.

An opposing defensive again from American Heritage saved speaking trash to Smith throughout certainly one of Chaminade’s few tightly contested video games.

“So we threw [Smith] a bomb, and he caught a landing over him,” Jones mentioned. “The one factor about JJ, he is quiet, he is humble. However he is additionally bought that canine mentality within him.”

Smith has saved that very same mentality in school. Over the previous three years, the Buckeyes have generated 4 first-round draft picks at receiver in Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr.

This spring, the Arizona Cardinals chosen Harrison with the No. 4 choose, making him the highest-drafted receiver in Ohio State historical past. However Smith-Njigba says he believes Smith may finally go larger than any of them — although he will not be eligible till the 2027 draft.

“He may play one yr of school and be prepared for the league,” Smith-Njigba mentioned. “I do not suppose I’ve ever seen a receiver that younger like him.”