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Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is already the best pass-catcher in college football and the 19-year-old phenom might be even more unstoppable as a sophomore than he was as a freshman. He packed on a lot of weight during the offseason.
It’s all muscle!
Smith arrived to Columbus as the top-ranked prospect in the college football recruiting Class of 2024. The Florida-native immediately lived up to exceeded the hype during his first season with the Buckeyes. His 1,315 receiving yards were the most on the team. As were his 15 receiving touchdowns.
Defensive backs did not have an answer for Jeremiah Smith. Ohio State won the national championship.
Smith is even stronger today than he was at this time last year, which is a scary thought! The 6-foot-3 wide receiver recently discussed his healthy weight gain with The Athletic.
He arrived to campus in January 2024 at 205 pounds. He currently weighs 225 and none of the added weight is fat.
I’ve changed my eating habits — just eating healthy food, salmon rice with vegetables. I’m at 225 pounds now. I was at 205 or 208 when I got there. Body fat, I think I’m second lowest on the team.
— Jeremiah Smith, via The Athletic
Smith spent a lot of time in the weight room. His combination of strength and speed is unmatched in college football, let alone among sophomores.
I just did 20 reps of 225 pounds on the bench and ran 22 (miles per hour) in a game.
— Jeremiah Smith, via The Athletic
To put that first number in perspective, only one wide receiver hit or exceeded 20 reps on the bench press at the NFL Combine in April, Jaylin Noel. Jeremiah Smith out-benched the majority of soon-to-be professional players at his position as a rising sophomore.
There are high expectations for the Buckeyes to get back to the College Football Playoff in 2025. Their success hinges, in large part, on their 19-year-old wide receiver. If he was as good as he was last year while listed at 215 pounds, he is going to be an even bigger problem for defensive backs with an additional 10 pounds of raw muscle. And it’s not like the added weight is slowing him down!