Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is now officially the most productive freshman receiver in program history.
Smith caught his ninth TD pass of the season against Purdue on Saturday and now leads all Ohio State freshmen in every receiving category.
The 17-yard TD catch was Smith’s sixth of the game as the Buckeyes took a 21-0 halftime lead over hapless Purdue.
Smith now has 45 catches for 765 yards and nine scores in nine games this season. He entered the Purdue game, along with Pro Football Hall of Fame member Cris Carter, for the most receiving TDs for a true freshman in Ohio State history.
Before Smith, Carter was long considered the best freshman wide receiver ever in the state of Ohio. Through 12 games in 1984, Carter had 41 catches for 648 yards and eight touchdowns. Those were remarkable numbers for a freshman in an era of college football when teams were much more likely to run the ball as often as possible.
At the pace he’s going, Smith will easily surpass the 1,000-yard mark and could have 12 or more touchdowns, especially if Ohio State plays multiple games in the College Football Playoff. NFL scouts are already enamored with Smith’s potential in the pros, but they’ll still have a long wait. Due to NFL rules, he won’t be eligible for a call-up until 2027.
