Just a season into his collegiate career, Jeremiah Smith is already an Ohio State Buckeyes legend. On3’s Ari Wasserman offered quite a hefty take on how good the 19-year-old can be.
Analyst Drops Huge Expectation on Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
College football fans were witnesses to Smith’s incredible talents last season. The true freshman wideout dropped just one pass the whole season. He led the Big Ten in receiving yards (1,315) and touchdown catches (15).
With the College Football Playoff national championship hanging in the balance, Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day called his name, and he cemented his place in Ohio State lore.
Wasserman believes Smith is capable of much more — and not just on the college level.
“Here’s my straight-faced expectation for Jeremiah Smith: I believe that when his NFL career is over with, he will be the greatest receiver to have ever played,” Wasserman said Friday on “Andy & Ari On3.” “That’s where I’m at with him… It’s a high expectation based on what I know about him and his physical measurables, and his production so far is that he should do that.”
Jerry Rice is the NFL’s all-time leader in receiving yards (22,895), receptions (1,549), and touchdown grabs (197). His 20-year odyssey included stints with the San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders, and Seattle Seahawks.
Judging by the length of Rice’s time in the NFL, we’ll know whether Smith surpasses his statistical standards by 2047 or so. Before his podcast co-host’s bold prediction, Andy Staples relayed a future NFL Hall of Famer he’s heard Smith likened to.
“Jeremiah Smith, undoubtedly the best receiver in college football, maybe the best receiver in college football in a long, long time,” Staples said. “The only name I actually hear him compared to that even makes sense is Larry Fitzgerald. It’s pretty lofty, but I don’t feel like it’s overblown. I think Jeremiah Smith is potentially better than Larry Fitzgerald in college.”
Fitzgerald, the 2003 Heisman Trophy runner-up, played two collegiate seasons at Pitt, amassing 161 catches for 2,677 yards and a program-record 34 touchdowns. Smith would need to slightly better his output from last season in order to match Fitzgerald’s figures through two campaigns. He’d also have another season to pass them up.
“Larry Legend” spent the entirety of his professional career with the Arizona Cardinals. His 17,492 receiving yards and 1,432 receptions are eclipsed only by Rice. His 121 touchdown catches are sixth all-time.
