-
Jake Trotter, ESPN Senior Writer
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Jeremiah Smith lived up to all the hype in his Ohio State debut.
And the offense finally got rolling after a slow start in coordinator Chip Kelly’s first game with the Buckeyes calling plays.
Smith, the No. 4 overall recruit in the 2024 ESPN 300 and the second-ranked wideout, scored both of Ohio State’s touchdowns in the first half, and propelled the second-ranked Buckeyes to a 52-6 victory over Akron in Saturday’s season opener.
“Sometimes you look at him, you don’t even think he’s quite human,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said. “He’s built different.”
After just one game, Smith already appears to be the next in a budding line of prolific Buckeye receivers.
Over the last three years alone, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Marvin Harrison Jr. all became first-round picks. Ohio State also boasts preseason All-American Emeka Egbuka, another projected first-round pick in 2025 who opened his senior season with four catches.
Smith, however, stole the show, becoming the first Ohio State freshman in 26 yards to debut with two touchdown receptions. He finished with six catches for 92 yards.
“I know all the hype around me was crazy coming in,” he said. “I just wanted to come in and be a guy, just work and not just be about hype.”
Despite the hype, Smith said he didn’t feel any pressure going into Saturday. Still, he got off to a jittery start.
On Ohio State’s first possession, he let a screen pass ricochet off his chest, with room to run in front of him. As a result, the Buckeyes had to punt after three plays.
“I’m glad it happened,” Smith said, noting he was “relieved” to get the first drop out of the way. “(The team) just told me, ‘Calm down, you’re good. Move on to the next play.’
Smith moved on — and also took over the game.
On the ensuing drive, he hauled in a pair of third-down passes for first downs. Then, on yet another third down, Smith shook his man near the front pylon for a 16-yard scoring reception to the Buckeyes their first lead of the day.
“If you get him in one-on-one coverage, he’s going to win,” quarterback Will Howard, a transfer from Kansas State who also had a sharp Ohio State debut with 228 passing yards, said. “All I’ve got to do is just give him a chance and he’s going to do the rest.”
Howard kept going Smith’s way.
In the second quarter, he connected with Smith on a slant route for a nine-yard touchdown. With that, Smith became the first Buckeye since Ted Ginn Jr. in 2006 to score two receiving touchdowns in the first half of an opener, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Then on Ohio State’s second play of the second half, Howard found Smith in one-on-one coverage again. Smith beat his man down the sidelines before snagging the pass with one hand as he slid down to the Akron 1-yard line. The 45-yard reception set up Quinshon Judkins’ scoring plunge on the next play, putting the Buckeyes in command, 24-3.
Ohio State added touchdowns on its next two offensive drives.
This offseason, Day surrendered playcalling duties to Kelly, who left his head-coaching job at UCLA to join the Buckeyes. Day, a former quarterback, played for Kelly at New Hampshire, and later coached with him there. The two both grew up in Manchester, New Hampshire.
On Saturday, Kelly, who the former head coach at Oregon, the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers, churned out a patient, but balanced attack, as the Buckeyes threw for 234 yards and rushed for 170, while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
“I thought Chip did a nice job, continually pushing the run. You could see that start to take its effect in the second half,” Day said. “I thought Chip called a good game. I really do. He knows what he wants to get done with this team. He wants to establish this run and that means maybe that’s not scoring 70 or whatever, but we need to establish the run late in the season.”
The Buckeyes showed they’ll be able to defeat teams through the air, though, too, especially with Smith complementing Ohio State’s other weapons.
Until Smith’s performance, Michael Wiley was the last Ohio State freshman to debut with two touchdown catches. But Wiley’s two scores came in the second half of a 70-7 rout of Rice in 1996.
“Jeremiah, he’s a dude, man,” Howard said. “This is just the start for him. I’m excited to see how this season goes for him. He’s a phenomenal player.”