Why Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is the best NFL prospect in ‘The Game’

The incomparable rivalry game that is Ohio State vs. Michigan features future first round NFL draft picks nearly every season.

And that is certainly the case this year, with a combined seven draft-eligible prospects from these teams featured in our latest 2025 mock draft.

What is unique, however, is the fact that the most talented prospect playing in The Game (noon ET on FOX) is actually not among the players in the mock draft.

That is because Ohio State wideout Jeremiah Smith, who turns 19 on Friday, is a true freshman. And per NFL rules, athletes must be three years removed from their high school graduating class to be eligible for the draft.

That is a shame, as Smith is already NFL ready and is widely viewed as a future first round pick. In fact, it is not hyperbole to suggest that Smith would be the first wide receiver selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, if he was eligible.

[Related: Inside Jeremiah Smith’s rise to stardom]

Boasting NFL-caliber size at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Smith signed with Ohio State as a consensus five-star recruit and the No. 1 overall prospect on many boards. He complements his pro-ready size with track-star speed and soft hands, as well as refined route-running and a clear dedication to his craft. All of which have his head coach and offensive coordinator, not to mention NFL scouts traveling through Columbus, already shaking their collective heads in amazement.

“Sometimes you look at him, you don’t even think he’s quite human,” Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on Aug. 31, after the celebrated rookie led the Buckeyes with six catches for 92 yards and two touchdowns in a scintillating college debut.

“He’s built different.”

But it isn’t “just” the way that Smith is built, according to the Buckeyes’ offensive coordinator Chip Kelly.

“His physical skills are kind of incomparable for someone at that age, but it’s his maturity level that has set him apart,” Kelly, the former Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers head coach, told ESPN.

“There’s a lot of guys that could get caught up in that hype. You don’t see that out of him,” explained Kelly, who traded in his role as head coach at UCLA prior to this season to take over play-calling duties at Ohio State.

“How he approaches meetings, how he approaches practices, it’s rare,” Kelly said, describing the teenage phenom as possessing the work ethic of a “10-year NFL veteran.”

As one might expect of a prospect characterized by some recruiting experts as the best prep receiver since Randy Moss, Smith dominated at the high school level, turning the talent-rich state of Florida into his personal playground.

He guided Chaminade-Madonna Prep to an undefeated season and state championship in 2023, hauling in 88 catches for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns. It was Chaminade-Madonna’s third consecutive state title; each of which had Smith playing a starring role.

When not catching touchdowns, Smith was racing away on the track, capturing individual Florida state titles in the 110- and 400-meter hurdles as a junior. He didn’t run as a senior, instead opting to enroll early at Ohio State, a program that has produced four first-round draft picks at wide receiver in the past three years (Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Marvin Harrison Jr.).

And Smith’s speed translates to the football field. Just watch the way that he outruns pursuit angles in this clip. 

Or this one from earlier in the year. 

But, as noted by Kelly, it isn’t “just” the physical traits that have scouts drooling over Smith. He complements his talent with dedication, showing a commitment to his route-running and the JUGS machine to truly hone his craft.

He has the light feet and body control of a ballet dancer, setting defenders up with subtle dekes and altering his speed to easily create separation.

And Smith tracks the ball over his shoulder like a center fielder, collecting it smoothly with no wasted motion.

Further, it is appropriate that the Buckeyes wear scarlet, because in the red zone, he’s nearly unstoppable, possessing the hand-eye coordination and strength to simply pluck the ball out of the air.

Check out examples here …

… and here …

To be clear, Smith isn’t just making splash plays; he’s making all the plays. Smith has already broken all-time freshman records for receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns with a jaw-dropping 52-899-9 statline over 11 games that, frankly, deserves strong consideration from both Biletnikoff and Heisman Award voters alike.

But is this just the latest example of a freshman feasting on the opportunities provided by veteran teammates and coaches?

Critics will be quick to point out that Smith is surrounded by a virtual all-star team at Ohio State. Even with Smith ineligible for the draft, the Buckeyes are widely expected to lead the nation in the number of prospects selected in the spring.

And there is no denying that Smith has been protected by the presence of a fellow star wideout (senior Emeka Egbuka), as well as a seasoned quarterback (Will Howard).

It is quite a different story on the opposing sideline, which just makes this matchup that much more intriguing from an NFL perspective.

At 6-5 on the season, Michigan is a shell of the juggernaut that won the national championship and led college football with 13 players drafted by the NFL a year ago.

Ironically, like their rivals this season, Michigan was led by a precocious group of underclassmen a year ago.

While quarterback J.J. McCarthy was Michigan’s top drafted prospect this spring, arguably their top NFL prospects were cornerback Will Johnson and defensive tackle Mason Graham. The former has drawn comparisons from scouts to Denver Broncos’ star cornerback Patrick Surtain II for his blend of size, speed and tenacity.

A matchup between Smith and Johnson would be just the type of main course to satisfy whatever hunger pangs NFL scouts might still have on the holiday weekend.

Johnson, however, has missed the past five games due to a lower body injury, and so far this week, Michigan head coach Sherrone Moore has been non-committal about the availability of his star cornerback for Saturday’s showdown.

Should Johnson be unable to suit up, Michigan’s chances of winning their fourth consecutive game against Ohio State would certainly be lessened. Further, scouts would be missing out on an opportunity to evaluate a future first round pick.

But that might just provide Smith — the elite talent for either team — with an even bigger stage.

Rob Rang is an NFL Draft analyst for FOX Sports. He has been covering the NFL Draft for more than 20 years, with work at FOX, Sports Illustrated, CBSSports.com, USA Today, Yahoo, NFL.com and NFLDraftScout.com, among others. He also works as a scout with the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. Follow him on Twitter @RobRang.

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