Ohio State Buckeyes OC Chip Kelly Speaks Boldly About Jeremiah Smith

Chip Kelly spoke out boldly about Ohio State Buckeyes freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

Aug 31, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Akron Zips during the first quarter at Ohio Stadium. / Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images

Jeremiah Smith put together an impressive debut with the Ohio State Buckeyes last weekend against Akron. Right off the bat, he showed off the star No. 1 wide receiver potential that he was expected to have when he committed to the program.

When everything was said and done during his debut, Smith ended up catching six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns.

Those numbers have excited the Ohio State fan base and the coaching staff.

Ahead of Week 2 against Western Michigan, offensive coordinator Chip Kelly spoke out about Smith.

“I’ve been around here since March. And he’s been doing a lot of really, really good things. So I don’t think that was a surprise to anybody that he’s going to be a featured guy in this offense. We obviously saw it. Besides that first drop, the rest of the game, I thought he played really, really well.”

Seeing a true freshman come in and have the kind of impact that Smith has already had is rare. He has the chance to be the next big thing for the Buckeyes.

In recent years, Ohio State has churned out a lot of elite talent at the wide receiver position. Some of the names that have gone on to the NFL are Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Marvin Harrison Jr. Smith could be next in that line.

Ever since he arrived on campus, the Buckeyes' coaching staff has been raving about him. That is clearly not going to change anytime soon.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what kind of game Smith has in Week 2. Western Michigan is a much better team than Akron and will give Ohio State a bigger test.

Don't be surprised if Smith puts together yet another strong performance.