Ohio State nearly lost Jeremiah Smith to the transfer portal after Cotton Bowl loss originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Ryan Day and the Ohio State Buckeyes have ridden quite a roller coaster. In a two-year period, the program went from winning a national championship behind Will Howard at quarterback to Julian Sayin adapting in his first season, along with getting bounced by Miami in the College Football Playoff.
There was one story developing in the background that could’ve changed the Buckeyes’ depth chart going into Spring Ball. Jeremiah Smith was very close to following his former offensive coordinator Brian Hartline to South Florida. The Bulls’ new coach broke the details of how it went down on this week’s The Triple Option podcast.
Hartline said Smith wanted to migrate to Tampa, but it wasn’t in his best interest to leave. At least that’s how Hartline recalls the interaction between himself and the Biletnikoff Award finalist.
“(Smith) actually wanted to come, and I said, ‘Listen, just stay at Ohio State.’ It’s probably best for them,” Hartline said.
Not only did Smith trust Hartline as a coordinator, the two developed a close relationship outside of football. There is no question that’s why Smith briefly entertained the idea of leaving Ohio State. If that happened, it would’ve been monumental for South Florida.
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In his 2025 sophomore season at Ohio State, Smith recorded 87 receptions for 1,243 receiving yards and 12 receiving touchdowns across 13 games. He also contributed a rushing touchdown to the mix. He’s widely considered one of the top offensive players after averaging 95.6 receiving yards per game.
Hartline knows what Smith would’ve given him in Tampa. But he’s ready to make a few carbon copies in the upcoming years.
