LA Lakers’ superstar LeBron James is a well-known fan of the Ohio State Buckeyes, and he’s regularly seen in Columbus, checking on the school’s football program. No surprise there, as he’s a native of Akron, Ohio, and he made a name for himself in the NBA with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Now, the iconic player seems to be enjoying role-playing as a Buckeye on EA Sports CFB 26, especially playing with their 2024 breakthrough youngster, Jeremiah Smith. On Friday, the NBA legend shared on his Instagram story a short video of himself playing the game with the 19-year-old wide receiver. He added the following caption:
“No way you play him 1 on 1! Hahahaha.”
Jeremiah Smith’s true freshman season (2024) at Ohio State was one for the history books. He won the national championship and, in the process, became the Rose Bowl MVP, a First Team All-American, a Freshman All-American, a Big Ten Receiver of the Year, a Big Ten Freshman of the Year, and a First Team All-Big Ten selection.
In 2024, Smith recorded 1315 receiving yards, with 15 touchdown catches in 76 receptions. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch.
Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith warns rivals when facing him in 2025
It’s no secret that top college football players, all top athletes to be fair, tend to be high-confidence individuals who don’t process defeats well. Jeremiah Smith is no exception. Despite his astonishing season, Smith believes there’s something he needs to do to feel at ease in 2025, and that is beat the Michigan Wolverines, who beat the Buckeyes 13-10 last season. Speaking in July with The Athletic, the Buckeyes’ wide receiver said:
“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy. In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs. But I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.”
The Buckeyes haven’t beaten their biggest rivals since 2019, with the Wolverines winning the last three encounters between the two teams. However, that doesn’t come anywhere near the Buckeyes’ dominant stretch in the 2010s, with the Wolverines losing eight straight encounters between 2012 and 2019.
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