Ohio State Five-Star Plus+ WR commit Jeremiah Smith focused on making ‘the right decision’

Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna Prep Five-Star Plus+ wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has been committed to Ohio State since Dec. 14. Despite his longtime pledge to the Buckeyes, multiple schools are working to flip him.

Smith took an official visit to Georgia from May 19-21 and has four more officials scheduled. They are to Florida (June 2), Ohio State (June 9), Florida State (June 19) and Miami (June 21).

“Everybody is telling me the same thing,” Smith said at the On3 NIL Elite Series presented by Mizuno. “It’s tough.”

In addition to his officials, Smith plans to take multiple game visits in the fall. The five aforementioned programs will all receive one from the 6-foot-3, 198-pound wideout.

Right now, Smith is focused on building relationships at multiple programs. He already has strong bonds with Ohio State head Ryan Day and offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach Brian Hartline, which is a key reason he remains committed to the Buckeyes.

“The love’s still there for Ohio State,” said Smith, the No. 2 overall prospect and No. 1 wide receiver in the 2024 On3 Industry Ranking. “They know what it is, especially with the coaches on staff like coach Hartline, coach Ryan Day and coach Keenan Bailey. They know I have love for them, but right now, I’m taking my visits. I can say this is a life decision right now. This could change my life. I just want to make the right decision, I just want to go to the right school.”

Smith is intrigued by what Georgia offers him

Smith enjoyed his official visit to Georgia and spent time with some of the top prospects in the country, including Phoenix (Ariz.) Pinnacle Five-Star Plus+ quarterback and Bulldogs commit Dylan Raiola and Buford (Ga.) Five-Star Plus+ safety KJ Bolden. The Florida native believes he is returning to Athens for Georgia’s game against South Carolina on Sept. 16.

Head coach Kirby Smart, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Mike Bobo and wide receivers coach Bryan McClendon also spoke with the five-star. Smith likes how Smart is a “player’s coach” and that both Bobo and McClendon said that with hard work, he can become a big-impact player for the Bulldogs and in the SEC.

“I sat down with the offensive coordinator, coach Mike Bobo,” Smith said. “He was telling me that I could come in and dominate. He said he’s never seen a receiver like me in a long time. Bobo was telling me, ‘When you come in, we’re going to feed you the ball.’”

As two of the top players in the 2024 class, Raiola and Smith have grown close and were even committed to Ohio State together at one point. Smith, who communicates with Raiola often, can sense that the No. 1 player in the country “wants me to be a Bulldog.”

“Georgia has Dylan Raiola. Who wouldn’t look at that?” Smith said. “… You would look at Georgia because Dylan Raiola is the No. 1 quarterback and the No. 1 overall prospect. I’m going to look at Georgia.”

Smith discusses three Sunshine State schools

Florida: “DJ (Lagway) is recruiting me hard and so are coach Billy Napier and coach Billy Gonzales. Those three are on me hard. They text me each and every day. I have a strong relationship with coach Billy Napier and coach Billy G and Lagway, all of the offense. Gainesville is a good town.”

Florida State: “It’s really coach (Ron) Dugans and coach Mike Norvell. I love coach Mike Norvell. The passion he has for the game of football is unbelievable. He’s been real with me. I remember when I sat in his office as a ninth-grader, he was telling me that, ‘You’re going to be the best at your position. I can see it now.’ He’s straightforward and is locked in and tells me to keep it real. Coach Dugans, he sees something in me that nobody else has seen. He says I can come in and change FSU to what it used to be.”

Miami: “They’re really talking about the same thing, come in and be a program changer… Coach (Kevin Beard) is on me hard. When he got the job, that’s when we started building a relationship. Coach KB, I could say for sure that he’s one of the realest coaches in college football.”

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