Would Jeremiah Smith of Ohio State, the top recruit in 2024, be able to raise the bar for rookie receivers?
Jeremiah Smith, a freshman at Ohio State, is the only member of the Class of 2024 with greater expectations. In addition to leading his team to a perfect 14-0 record and a third straight state championship, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound star from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Opa Locka, Florida, put up astounding stats in 2023, including 88 receptions for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns. The Buckeye signee made history by becoming the first wide receiver to be rated as the Top247 overall recruit since the rankings were established by 247Sports in 2010. He truly embodies the prospect of a generation.
Comparing Smith to Julio Jones, 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins says, “He’s got ready-to-play size to go along with top-flight athleticism and an advanced feel for the position.” “And he’s got a pro-like mindset.”
Twelve receivers had been listed in the Top247 rankings’ top 10 players overall before 2024. When Dorial Green-Beckham, the No. 2 prospect in the country, signed with Missouri in 2012, he was the highest-ranked wideout recruit in the country (Top 247).
We looked at the prior freshmen performances of receivers who were classified as top-10 talents in an attempt to establish a realistic estimate for what Smith’s numbers could look like in 2024. Some immediately made an impact on campus, while others failed to muster impressive statistics. For the 12 receivers who have been in the top 10 overall since 2010, their average season has been 40 receptions for 526 yards, with three to four touchdowns in their rookie year.
For Smith, those would be good numbers right from the start. Looking at Ohio State receivers in 2023, the only receivers with more than 40 receptions were Emeka Egbuka (41), and Marvin Harrison Jr. (67). Even Harrison Jr., a 4-star prospect and eventual No. 4 overall pick in the NFL, caught 11 passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns in his rookie season.
Heisman contender Harrison Jr. led the Buckeyes with 67 receptions, 1,211 receiving yards, and 14 touchdown grabs last year. Though it is currently among the top college football teams ever, Ohio State’s roster isn’t as strong as it was back then, with players like Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jameson Williams, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
In 2024, Smith will have his hands full trying to match the best rookie performances of the 12 top-10 ranked receivers that came before him. Sammy Watkins of Clemson tied for the most receiving touchdowns in the ACC in 2011 with twelve, having caught 82 passes for 1,219 yards.
Nevertheless, USC receivers Robert Woods (65) in 2010 and Amon-Ra St. Brown (60) in 2018 joined Watkins as the only players on the list to grab 60 passes or more. No other receivers achieved 1,000 receiving yards or double-digit touchdowns in their debut years.
Speedy Noil of Texas A&M in 2014 was the only other receiver to have five touchdowns or more in their debut season (he had five).
The quietest seasons went to Ohio State’s Fleming with seven receptions and Shorter’s Penn State with nine. A few years later, Fleming and Shorter would actually transfer.
With 124 career receptions for 1,857 yards and 14 touchdowns, Egbuka has rapidly made up for missed time. Once again, he was in a heavy room. Now that Harrison Jr. has taken his skills to the Arizona Cardinals, he begins his fourth season in Columbus as the Buckeyes’ undisputed top receiver.
Think that there are a few guys missing from our group? Indeed. There must be a few pre-2010 standouts in any discussion about blue-chip wideouts who lived up to the hype from the start. In the Rivals.com rankings from 2003 to 2009, each of these athletes was listed as a five-star recruit. Those who had an early and significant effect were chosen. A fun throwback to the past.
Most of the time, even the top receiving talent in the country must settle for a quiet rookie year because of Ohio State’s incredible run of receiver recruiting. But with Smith, that won’t be the case. In contrast to the other players on the list below, he will start right away and will have to assist the Buckeyes in acclimating new quarterback Will Howard.
In 2024, if Ohio State hopes to win the Big Ten and challenge for a national championship, Smith will need to outperform Julian Fleming, Emeka Egbuka, and Marvin Harrison Jr. in their first season. Whether Smith can accomplish that will be a big plot point for this season, both in Columbus and nationally.
As the first wide receiver ranked as the No. 1 overall recruit, Smith has even more pressure to perform because of the label of five-star recruit. However, he has literally earned his stripes and has shown no signs of being affected by the weight of those expectations.
A tradition started by former Urban Meyer in 2012, new players to Ohio State’s program have a black stripe placed on their helmet in order to earn the right to have their scarlet and gray stripe like everyone who came before them. Smith became the first player among Ohio State’s freshmen in 2024 to have the black stripe removed from his helmet.
For now, Smith should be seen as either on track or ahead of schedule because it was a brilliant spring for him. All is well so far, but we will monitor his progress come autumn to see if he can have a lasting effect as well as an immediate one.