Jeremiah Smith

Jeremiah Smith’s 2025 season has been defined by toughness, resilience and a refusal to miss the moments that matter most — and that mindset is exactly why Buckeye fans are so confident heading into the College Football Playoff.

Just two weeks before Ohio State’s regular-season finale against Michigan, Smith suffered a painful strain to his rectus femoris, one of the main quadriceps muscles, during practice before the UCLA game. He tried to push through it for three drives against the Bruins, but the injury forced him out early and then completely sidelined him against Rutgers. With doctors warning of a three-to-four-week recovery window, it looked very real that Ohio State’s star receiver might not be available for the trip to Ann Arbor.

Smith never accepted that outcome.

The thought of missing The Game weighed on him heavily throughout rivalry week. He admitted he was discouraged and unsure whether his body would allow him to go, but his desire to compete for his teammates and for Ohio State pushed him through the rehab process at full throttle. The result was a gutsy return in Ann Arbor where, despite being far from 100 percent, Smith caught three passes for 40 yards and a touchdown in a 27–9 Buckeye victory — Ohio State’s first over Michigan since 2019.

Ryan Day later revealed just how remarkable Smith’s effort truly was. The head coach explained that Smith barely practiced that week and essentially willed himself onto the field, responding to Day’s reassurance that the team would win with or without him by lifting a huge emotional weight off his shoulders. What followed was exactly what Ohio State fans have come to expect from their superstar: a performance built on heart, belief and unshakable commitment.

Now, as the Buckeyes enter the College Football Playoff, Smith says he’s finally back to full strength. The injury that once threatened to derail his season is no longer an issue, and his focus has turned entirely toward the next challenge — a Cotton Bowl showdown with Miami on New Year’s Eve.

For Smith, this game carries extra meaning. A Miami Gardens native, he’ll be facing his hometown program, the same coaches who once recruited him and many of the players he grew up competing alongside in South Florida. His excitement was obvious the moment Miami clinched its first-round win, and he hasn’t hidden how much this matchup matters to him.

There’s also fuel from another source. Despite an extraordinary season — 80 receptions, 1,086 yards, 11 touchdowns and unanimous All-American honors — Smith was passed over for the Biletnikoff Award. While he’s handled the snub with class, praising USC’s Makai Lemon and keeping his eyes forward, the edge it provides is unmistakable. Everything now funnels into one objective: beating Miami and chasing another national championship.

That pursuit is deeply personal after the bitter taste left by Ohio State’s Big Ten Championship loss to Indiana. Smith has leaned into his leadership role, asking wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and co-offensive coordinator Keenan Bailey to push him even harder in practice as the postseason begins. His message has been clear: it’s time to elevate.

With the playoff stage set, Day believes Buckeye Nation is about to see something special. He notes that everything promised during Smith’s recruitment is now unfolding on the biggest stage, and the pride he and his family bring to the program is unmistakable.

Even Miami recognizes what Ohio State fans already know. Hurricanes head coach Mario Cristobal called Smith an NFL prototype, praising his size, speed, separation ability, blocking and complete-game effort while acknowledging the entire Buckeye offense as dominant and championship-caliber.

Jeremiah Smith enters the Cotton Bowl healthy, hungry, motivated and wired for the moment. For Ohio State, that’s the perfect recipe as the road to another national title continues.