FOX Sports analyst and commentator Joel Klatt has set sky-high expectations for Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Appearing on The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Klatt couldn’t say enough about the Buckeyes’ standout, praising his talent and potential with glowing enthusiasm.
“The quarterback is not going to be asked to be Superman for Ohio State,” Klatt said. They should be able to run it well, their defense should be solid, and they’ve got, I think, the best wide receiver that I’ve seen in college football since I’ve been covering college football in Jeremiah Smith. He might be the best player I’ve seen since I started covering college football.
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“There’s only two players that I felt like, as their true freshman year, they should be on an NFL field: Adrian Peterson and Jeremiah Smith… Smith is ridiculous. I think Jeremiah Smith — I mean, this is probably too much hype — Jeremiah Smith, if he just keeps working hard and developing, I think he has a chance to be a top five receiver in the history of football.”
Joel Klatt’s praise for Jeremiah Smith is nothing short of extraordinary, but after the freshman season Smith just had, it might not be so far off the mark.
In his first year with the Buckeyes, Smith rewrote the record books. He set a new FBS freshman receiving record with 1,315 yards, finishing the season with 76 receptions, 15 receiving touchdowns, and even added a rushing score.
Despite a quiet game against Texas in the College Football Playoff semifinal, where he managed just one catch for three yards, Smith still left a major impact on the postseason. Across four playoff games, he totaled 19 catches for 381 yards and five touchdowns. He found the end zone twice in both the Rose Bowl against Oregon and in the matchup against Tennessee. His performance in the Rose Bowl was especially electric, recording 7 receptions for 187 yards and 2 touchdowns.
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For his outstanding debut season, Smith was named Big Ten Receiver of the Year and earned First-Team All-American honors. With a résumé like that already in hand, Klatt’s high expectations suddenly seem very realistic.
As of today, Jeremiah Smith holds the fourth-best odds to win the Heisman Trophy, behind only three quarterbacks: Texas’ Arch Manning, LSU‘s Garrett Nussmeier, and Clemson‘s Cade Klubnik. If Smith has already positioned himself among college football’s elite after just one year, his rise is only beginning. All eyes will be on him when he returns to the field for his sophomore season opener as Ohio State faces Texas on August 30 at noon ET.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Joel Klatt Praises Ohio State Wide Receiver Jeremiah Smith’s Potential
