Jeremiah Smith had arguably one of the best freshman seasons in college history this past year. With over 1,300 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, his historic campaign helped lead Ohio State to a National Championship. It stands alongside the great freshman seasons of Adrian Peterson, Luke Kuechly, and Trevor Lawrence.
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Perhaps the best person to ask about Smith is none other than his former college QB, Will Howard. The newly minted Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback had the chance to play with the freshman sensation after transferring to Ohio State for his senior season. And when he spoke about Smith in a recent podcast appearance, he could only rave about the receiver.
Howard had so much belief in his former wideout that when he was asked if Smith could be in the NFL right now, the rookie QB took it even one step further.
“Oh, he could’ve played last year. There’s no doubt in my mind,” Howard told Cam Heyward on the Not Just Football podcast.
This really shows how highly the QB thinks of Smith, and it’s hard to argue. After all, how do you downplay a 15-touchdown season from a freshman? Just for fun, the team even added a 16th score for him on the ground, showcasing his dual-threat, Deebo Samuel-like ability.
When Howard met Smith for the first time, though, he remembered the kid being super quiet and soft-spoken.
“The first time I met Jeremiah, really quiet kid. Super quiet, really nice dude, soft spoken. But you look at him and he’s huge. You look at him, and he’s this 18-year-old kid, you know, he looks like an NFL player. But then you start talking to him and it’s like, oh, he’s just an 18-year-old kid,” Howard recalled.
The analysis on the wide receiver was right on point. Many describe Smith as quiet and humble, yet also very determined. He likes to keep his head down and work to get better every day, a skill that should prove quite useful in the NFL.
That said, Howard didn’t just get to see Smith while at Ohio State. He also got to watch the previous season’s No. 4 overall pick, Marvin Harrison Jr., while training alongside him.
“I remember watching him and Marv when I first got there, training for the draft, because he didn’t go anywhere else, he just stayed in Columbus… He’s running routes with us and stuff, you know, I’m watching Marvin and I’m like, ‘Wow, this guy’s special,’” Howard shared.
There was a moment when the QB said that he realized Smith might be better than Harrison.
“Then Jeremiah would get up and run the next route, and I’d be like, ‘Dude, that might be better.’ I mean, I’ve never seen anything like Marv, and then you see Jeremiah and it’s like, ‘Whoa,’” Howard added.
It was quite the high praise coming from the rookie QB. He didn’t just say that Smith was similar to Harrison; he said he might be better than the former #4 overall pick. If that’s the case, how high will Smith be drafted when he’s eligible?
After all, Jeremiah might just be an elite talent ready to fire out of the starting gate in the NFL. As Howard later described, he already has a killer mindset that can throw opposing defenders off.
“The other thing that bothers a lot of people is he doesn’t say anything. He doesn’t say a word. He’ll get up, Moss you, and just flip the ball to the ref, and I think that killed our DBs because our DBs love chirping at him. And, you know, he just wouldn’t say anything… He’s an alien, he’s different.”
It sure seems as though Smith is indeed cut from a different cloth. This season, he’s already leading the BIG Ten in receiving yards and has 4 total TDs. It’s only a matter of time before he’s picked highly in the draft and we’re watching him every Sunday.
It was also cool to hear Howard pull back the curtain on Smith. He’s been so quiet and humble that he hasn’t dominated any media outlets, making any information on his personality fascinating. Yet, as a sophomore, we’re still going to need to watch him for another couple of seasons at Ohio State before we get a full glimpse of him in the NFL. So, there’s still plenty of time for us to learn more about him.
