Texas coach Steve Sarkisian praises Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith burst onto the scene last year, fresh out of high school, to become one of the best players in the country and put together arguably the best season by a freshman wide receiver ever. He won’t sneak up on anyone this year and will be known as — if not the best — then one of the best players in the country and one of the preseason frontrunners for the Heisman Trophy.

It’s hard to win the Heisman as a receiver, however, and his impact on a game is more than the stats you see at the end of games. Don’t get me wrong, he’ll surely put up some numbers again, this time in his sophomore season, but he’s going to garner a lot of attention in multiple layers of the field that should open things up for others like receivers Carnell Tate and Brandon Innis, and tight end Max Klare.

But Smith will also have the attention of the opposing coaching staffs. Just ask Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian, who got to see him up front and in person during last year’s College Football Playoff semifinal Cotton Bowl. He took some time to talk to Colin Cowherd and was quick to praise the generational talent that Smith is, even comparing him to a former NFL All-Pro star.

“You know, it’s interesting. I had a chance to coach Julio Jones for two years in Atlanta,” Sarkisian told Cowherd. “Reminds me a lot of him. So big and physical but yet fast. I mean cover ground, so strong at the point of attack when the ball’s in the air. You see just the ability to make contested catches.

“That’s where your attention needs to be. But, hey, they’ve got really good coaches. He’s going to be moving around. He’s not going to be lining up in one position all the time. Ideally, you’ve got multiple people with eyes on him and guarding him, but you still have to play great team defense, and you’ve got to have…


Source link : https://buckeyeswire.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/buckeyes/football/2025/07/25/ohio-state-football-texas-coach-steve-sarkisian-praises-jeremiah-smith/85380262007/

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Publish date : 2025-07-25 21:05:00

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