Ohio State junior wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has caught the attention of Pro Football Hall of Famer Cris Carter, who revealed in an August 2026 appearance on the Rich Eisen Show that he expects the young Buckeye standout to win a Heisman Trophy and eventually join an elite tier of NFL receivers. Carter shared that he sent a private Saturday morning video message to Smith and Ohio State wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton, stating his belief that Smith will become the third gold-jacket player he has personally influenced, following in the footsteps of Randy Moss and Larry Fitzgerald.
When a legendary pass-catcher like Carter places that kind of expectation on an active college player, it transcends standard media praise. The evaluation builds directly upon Smith’s historic freshman campaign in Columbus, where the 6-foot-3 wideout shattered long-standing school records and immediately positioned himself as a focal point of contemporary college football analysis.
Carter’s endorsement reflects a trajectory that began taking shape during Smith’s true freshman year in 2024. Arriving in Columbus as a top-ranked recruit out of Opa-locka, Florida, Smith quickly erased benchmarks that had stood for decades. In 1984, Carter set the standard for Ohio State freshmen by hauling in 41 passes for 648 yards and eight touchdowns. That freshman benchmark remained untouched through generations of elite receiving talent, surviving the collegiate tenures of standouts like Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, and Marvin Harrison Jr.
That four-decade standard fell during Smith’s ninth game of the 2024 season when he secured his ninth touchdown catch. By the conclusion of that debut year, Smith had accumulated 14 touchdown receptions, establishing a new Big Ten freshman record. Long before those milestones accumulated, Carter noted the underlying habits driving the production. Speaking to CBS Sports ahead of Ohio State’s January 2025 national championship game against Notre Dame, Carter highlighted the receiver’s daily discipline. “He’s one of the first in the building at Ohio State,” Carter said. “He’s one of the last ones to leave.”
Building on Historic Numbers and Eliminating Weaknesses
Entering his junior season, Smith carries staggering offensive production alongside massive expectations. According to college football analyst Bruce Feldman, Smith amassed 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdowns over his first two college seasons, the most by a Big Ten receiver through two college seasons.
During the 2025 campaign, defenses routinely tilted coverages toward the star wideout, yet he still managed 87 receptions for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns. Despite those individual accolades, coaching staff scrutiny pushed the receiver to evolve. Ohio State wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton pointed out a glaring team deficiency ahead of the offseason: the Buckeyes ranked 95th nationally in yards after the catch during the previous season. Stunned by that ranking, Smith spent the offseason studying film of elite playmakers like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Ja’Marr Chase, and Malik Nabers to elevate his elusiveness in the open field.
Those adjustments have translated into noticeable physical gains. Smith reported feeling faster and moving with more fluidity than he did during his freshman and sophomore campaigns. That blend of deep-threat capability and improved yards-after-catch execution poses a final severe challenge for college defensive coordinators across the upcoming schedule.
Future NFL Projections and Locker Room Leadership
While college opponents prepare for another autumn attempting to contain him, the NFL horizon looms large. Possessing remaining eligibility, Smith addressed questions regarding a potential extended stay in Columbus with a quick laugh, acknowledging to reporters, “I know, but I think it’s time for me to go.”
Beyond his own on-field preparations, Smith has begun shaping the younger personnel inside the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. During Big Ten Media Days, the superstar receiver singled out freshman teammate Brock Boyd for special praise after observing the three-star recruit excel during spring practices. Describing Boyd’s performance, Smith noted, “He was out there just making plays, diving for the ball, two defenders on him, doing a lot of crazy stuff. It reminded me of myself when I first got here in the spring, just out there making plays and having fun. He’s going to play a lot this year.”
That leadership voice carries significant weight inside a reconstructed Ohio State receiver room facing fierce competition for starting perimeter spots alongside veterans and newcomers. As Smith prepares for his junior campaign, the convergence of Carter’s Hall of Fame projection, relentless offseason film study, and rising pro ambitions sets the stage for a defining chapter in Columbus.
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