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Jeremiah Smith may only be a college sophomore, but many believe that the Ohio State standout would have been the first receiver selected in this year’s NFL Draft. That’s how good Smith was as a freshman while helping lead the Buckeyes to a national title.
Smith recently received a flattering comparison from Indiana coach Curt Cignetti, who went as far as to compare the young wideout to Julio Jones, the former Alabama standout and a likely future Pro Football Hall of Famer. Cignetti coached Jones for three years during his time as Alabama’s receivers coach.
“Julio was also a great player,” Cignetti said during Big Ten Media Days, per Eleven Warriors. “Very similar. (Smith) is a little looser, more flexible, I think – Maybe a hair faster.”
Smith’s talent was on full display during his first season with the Buckeyes. Last fall, the 6-foot-3, 216-pound Smith caught 76 passes and led the Big Ten with 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns while averaging 17.3 yards per catch.
In the College Football Playoff, Smith put up big numbers in three of Ohio State’s four games. He caught a combined 13 passes for 290 yards and four touchdowns during the Buckeyes’ first two playoff games (wins over Tennessee and Oregon). Against Notre Dame in the CFP National Championship, Smith pulled down five passes for 88 yards, including Ohio State’s first touchdown of the night on an eight-yard pass from current Steelers quarterback Will Howard.
While it was just one season, Smith clearly showed enough last year to earn some high praise from Cignetti, who will try to come up with a…
Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/ohio-state-wr-phenom-jeremiah-smith-receives-julio-jones-comparison-from-big-ten-coach/
Author : Bryan DeArdo
Publish date : 2025-07-23 16:11:00
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