Jeremiah Smith insists he’s ‘locked in’ with Ohio State: Do you believe him?

REDONDO BEACH, Calif. — The look on Air Noland’s face says it all.

Noland, a four-star quarterback and Ohio State commitment, participated in the Elite 11 Finals this week. As part of the camp, he ran some seven-on-seven drills. One of the receivers he worked out with was Jeremiah Smith, a South Florida native and fellow Buckeyes pledge who is ranked as the No. 3 overall player in the 2024 class.

Nolan lit up when asked about what it was like to get some work in with his future No. 1 target.

“He’s a very, very, very big target,” Noland said. “You can’t miss him. … He’s just different. Guys like him are different. You can see why he’s the No. 1 player in the country. You can see why he’s committed to Ohio State.”

Ohio State receivers coach Brian Hartline has recruited and developed top-tier receiver prospects such as Chris Olave, Garrett Wilson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and, most recently, Marvin Harrison Jr., who enters the 2022 season as the top wideout in college football. One look at Smith’s tape and you could say with a straight face that he’s more advanced at this age than any of the first-round NFL Draft picks who played at Ohio State in recent years.

That’s why Buckeyes fans are on pins and needles with every visit Smith takes to other schools. Despite the absurd amount of talent and depth Ohio State has at the position, Ryan Day and his staff cannot lose this special talent.

Smith swears that’s not going to happen.

“I’m locked in,” he said Friday, wearing an Ohio State backpack, shorts and slides.

But until that signature is on the dotted line, anything can happen. And with Smith, it’s going to be a bumpy ride — regardless of what he says — because he’s squeezing every ounce of entertainment out of his recruiting experience. Smith has been committed to Ohio State since December, but he has three official visits planned for later this month: Florida State (June 20), Miami (June 22) and Penn State (June 23).

Why does Smith continue to visit so many places? Why does he keep making things so scary for Ohio State and its fans?

“I’m really just enjoying the process,” he said. “If you were in my shoes, you’d really love this recruiting process. It’s fun. You’re 17 years old, you want to have fun. Even if you’re committed, you want to see places and go places.”

Smith swears he’s just having fun. Given the 6-foot-3, 200-pound prospect’s skill set, programs will gladly host him for an official visit even if they believe there’s no chance he’s going to pick them. You simply have to take your shot with a prospect like this.

There was a recurring theme in the interview with Smith. He kept saying places like Florida State and Miami refer to him as “program changing.” If you saw the way he plucks passes out of the air with one arm, you’d understand that isn’t just lip service.

So the main question is this: Is Smith actually looking for a school to show him something that’s a better alternative than Ohio State? Or is he just a teenager taking trips?

“I want to see if I can be developed (at another school) the way Ohio State can,” he said.

Is that even a question? All you have to do is look at NFL Draft numbers. What is it really going to take? It’s probably impossible because there is no other program in college football that can compete with the frequency with which Ohio State throws the ball and how consistent Hartline has been at producing first-round picks at the position.

Smith has been receiving recruiting pitches from five-star quarterback Dylan Raiola, the No. 1 overall player in the country, who is committed to Georgia. Smith waved his hand and dismissed the idea that Georgia is a real threat to land his services.

“They aren’t even second,” Smith said of Georgia. “Just Florida. To me, Georgia doesn’t really throw it like that. I don’t want to stay in the state of Florida, but coach (Billy Napier) has been saying I’m a program-changing player who can change Florida to the way it was back with Percy Harvin and all of those guys.”

Each of the Big 3 in Florida could use a program-changer. Those schools need a Smith-like talent much more than Ohio State, which also has another five-star receiver — Indiana native Mylan Graham — committed in its 2024 class.

You may think that Smith would feel a responsibility — an obligation, even — to stay home and help one of the Big 3 return to prominence. In Smith’s mind, it should be the exact opposite.

“They have to show me something,” Smith said.

Smith wants to see a pulse from the Florida schools before he’d seriously consider them. The season is around the corner, so this is a big year for Florida, Florida State and Miami. Is it possible any of those schools, or Penn State, could pull off the upset?

Smith keeps telling you no.

Do you believe him?

(Photo: Ari Wasserman / The Athletic)