Ohio State megastar Jeremiah Smith is ready for the NFL — but the NFL isn’t ready for him

In the waning moments of Ohio State’s postgame media availability last month, Jeremiah Smith was asked the question a lot of folks couldn’t wait to be answered. It’s the question that pushed the conversation from a national championship debut for the talented freshman receiver to Smith’s next logical destination.

To be specific: Is the 19-year-old with a grown man’s body, equipped with a set of Velcro hands, ready to play in the NFL right now?

“Hah,” Smith said, a bit taken aback by the question from CBS Sports. “I don’t really know how to answer that question. I’m just a freshman, happy to be in college football.”

Except when pressed, Smith did know how to answer the question.

“I definitely think I can [play in the NFL] for sure,” Smith asserted.

He is not alone. The No. 1 recruit from the Class of 2024, Smith is among a handful of college freshmen – or younger – who have ever had the talent to play in the NFL. Among them are running backs Adrian Peterson (Oklahoma), Leonard Fournette (LSU), Herschel Walker (Georgia) and Marcus Dupree (Oklahoma), as well as defensive linemen Jadeveon Clowney (South Carolina) and Ed Oliver (Houston).

Amobi Okoye is believed to be the youngest player taken in the draft era (since 1966). Okoye moved from Nigeria to Huntsville, Alabama, as a 12-year-old. At age 16, the defensive tackle played 13 games at Louisville as a true freshman. He was the 10th pick of the 2007 draft two months before his 20th birthday. Okoye played five years in the NFL.

But the discussion here is less about whether such players could play in the NFL at a young age; rather, it is about whether they should have the opportunity. Since 1990, the NFL – in partnership with the NFL Players Association – has required players to be…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ohio-state-megastar-jeremiah-smith-is-ready-for-the-nfl-but-the-nfl-isnt-ready-for-him/

Author : Dennis Dodd

Publish date : 2025-02-13 15:27:00

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