Overview
Jeremiah Smith arrived in Columbus with generational expectations and has somehow exceeded them. The former five-star recruit has put together one of the most dominant seasons by a receiver in recent memory, consistently torching defensive backs with a combination of size, speed, and technical refinement that we rarely see from underclassmen.
What separates Smith from other elite receiver prospects is the completeness of his game. He’s not just a deep threat who wins with athleticism. He’s not just a possession receiver who works the intermediate zones. He’s everything, all at once, with no discernible weakness in his game.
Strengths
Smith’s release package is already NFL-caliber. He has a diverse repertoire of moves at the line—swim, swipe, hesitation releases—and executes them with timing and violence that consistently creates immediate separation. Press coverage doesn’t bother him; he almost seems to welcome it.
His body control at the catch point is special. Smith has an innate feel for where the sideline is, consistently toeing the line on contested catches while keeping his focus on the ball. The concentration and hand-eye coordination on these plays is elite.
Route running shows advanced understanding of leverage and spacing. He stems defenders convincingly, sets up his breaks, and snaps out of cuts with minimal wasted motion. The 15-yard comeback is already a professional-grade route.
After the catch, Smith is a legitimate threat to take any touch to the house. He has breakaway speed (verified 4.35 forty in high school) and enough power to punish overeager tacklers in the open field.
Weaknesses
There are nits to pick if you’re looking hard enough. His releases can get a little mechanical when facing physical corners who disrupt his timing early. He’ll need to develop more counter moves when his initial release gets stonewalled.
Blocking effort is inconsistent. He has the frame to be an adequate run blocker, but the want-to isn’t always there on every snap. NFL coaches will demand more consistency in this area.
He can occasionally double-catch the ball rather than snatching it cleanly out of the air. It’s a minor technical issue that hasn’t cost him yet, but could in tighter windows against NFL coverage.
Bottom Line
Jeremiah Smith is a unicorn. The combination of size, speed, route-running acumen, and ball skills makes him the best receiver prospect since Ja’Marr Chase, and there’s an argument he has a higher ceiling given his physical tools. He’s a true alpha who will command WR1 targets from day one and has the ability to transform an offense.
If he declares after his sophomore season—and he should—he’ll be a lock for the top five picks. There’s no weakness significant enough to drop him, and the upside is perennial All-Pro production.