Hours after reaffirming his commitment to Ohio State, Jeremiah Smith is officially a Buckeye.
Late Wednesday night, the 5-star receiver and top overall prospect in the 2024 class sent his letter of intent to Columbus. With that, Smith became an official member of the Buckeyes’ 2024 class, which ranks fourth nationally according to 247Sports.
While Smith had first committed to Ohio State last December, his recruitment came down to the wire, with Miami (Fla.) and Florida State also vying for his services. Even after reaffirming his commitment to the Buckeyes during a 12 p.m. ET press conference on Wednesday, there was speculation that the Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna product was considering a late switch, as he didn’t send in his letter of intent until late Wednesday night, which Ohio State confirmed with a post on social media.
Jeremiah Smith – Fresh off a Senior campaign that saw him rewrite record books in South Florida and culminated with a State Championship, JJ and his elite skillset land in Columbus looking to add to the legacy of elite Buckeye Wide receivers of the past. Welcome to THE… pic.twitter.com/F9I6Dx3wy1
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 21, 2023
Smith’s announcement that he was sticking with Ohio State — choosing the Buckeyes over the Hurricanes — came as Ryan Day was holding his annual Signing Day press conference. Upon receiving the news that the nation’s No. 1 recruit was sticking with his program, the Ohio State head coach literally buckled at the knees.
Ryan Day can finally take a deep breath knowing the Buckeyes signed the number one player in the 2024 class.
Here is his reaction of learning the news that Jeremiah Smith will be the newest member of zone 6: pic.twitter.com/pLK437lASz
— Adam King (@AdamKing10TV) December 20, 2023
“I’m sorry, what was the question again?” Day said after remaining almost speechless for a full minute.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.