Ohio State Buckeyes Wide Receiver Coach Brian Hartline praised freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith in fall camp. He particularly praised the work that Smith has done so far.
Smith is expected to make an impact as a freshman in 2024, thanks in no small part to his stellar performance in the spring and how that solid performance continued in fall camp.
“Everyone who comes in here is different and everyone has their own path,” Brian Hartline said. “Some have to grow here, some have to grow there, and the end goal is not to start at Ohio State. That’s just one of the goals along the way.”
Jeremiah Smith comes to Ohio State University as a five-star recruit in the class of 2024 according to On3 Industry Rankings. He was the top-ranked wide receiver and player overall this recruiting cycle, which only further increased the expectations placed on him.
“So once you get started, you have to be productive, and once you’re productive and you have a name, you have to justify that name,” Hartline said. “And then you get selected in the first round and you have to show that you’re worthy of being selected in the first round.”
Brian Hartline has been very successful in both recruiting and developing wide receivers during his time at Ohio State. What immediately stands out about Hartline, compared to his long history of great wide receivers, is how hard he has worked.
“The main goal is where we are. He has a lot of skills. He works extremely hard, and I can say that. I would say that as a freshman, we’ve never had an Iron Buckeye from Coach Mick. I don’t know if that’s ever been the case, or I definitely know since I’ve been here. So, as far as Jeremiah goes, he deserves a lot of credit,” Hartline said. “He embodied everything that goes into that conversation, right? It’s not just the lifting numbers and the speed numbers. It’s the way you carry yourself, the way you train, the way you come out on top. That’s everything. So he’s the first one that’s ever earned that, and we’ll leave it at that.”
This excellent work ethic is something that head coach Ryan Day has already been noticed and praised.
“He loves it,” Day said recently. “We were sitting at the training table the other day and we said, this is why I came here, to get better. I’m competing against these guys, learning about myself and I just love his spirit. He’s so competitive. For someone as talented as he is, first of all, he’s strong, he’s powerful, he’s big. But it’s his work ethic that just stands out for me.”
Ohio State hopes that Smith can step up and make an impact early in his career at Ohio State, starting with a home game against Akron End of August.
