We are all witnesses: The hype is real as Jeremiah Smith's historic Ohio State debut awaits

The freshman is doing things no other player has accomplished in Ohio State's storied history, and the 2024 season has not kicked off yet

By Brandon Marcello Aug 28, 2024 at 12:22 pm ET• 8 min read

Jeremiah Smith hasn't yet played in a college football game -- that comes Saturday afternoon against Akron at 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS -- but the Ohio State receiver is already being touted as a superstar heading into the season.

The freshman is making waves in ways no other player has in Ohio State's storied history, both in weight room and on the practice fields. Crudely-filmed practice sessions on cell phones have set social media ablaze with his jaw-dropping catches against elite cornerbacks. In just a few short months, Smith became the first freshman in history to earn an "Iron Buckeye" designation in the weight room and the first newcomer this year to lose the "black stripe" on his helmet. 

Save for those few moments when practice footage leaks, the public has not seen the tangible evidence, and though it's quick to fall victim to cynicism and label the tales behind closed doors as fables, there is one constant: everyone contends he has lived up to the hype as the first receiver in 247Sports history to also rate as the nation's No. 1 overall prospect. 

"He's a killer in every aspect of football," said Buckeyes cornerback Denzel Burke, who was on the wrong end of several highlight catches.