The Ohio State Buckeyes football team boasted two of the best wide receivers in college football last season in Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate. The duo combined to record 2,118 receiving yards on 138 receptions and scored 21 receiving touchdowns.
Both Smith and Tate were instrumental to Ohio State’s offensive success during the team’s College Football Playoff run.
Next season’s Ohio State WR corps will feature a new group. Tate is on his way to the pros, as he declared for the 2026 NFL Draft on Jan. 6. Ohio State backup wide receivers Quincy Porter, Mylan Graham, and Bryson Rodgers are all entering the transfer portal.
Is Jeremiah Smith Entering the 2026 NFL Draft?
No, Ohio State Buckeyes sophomore WR Jeremiah Smith is not entering the 2026 NFL Draft. Smith will enter his third year of college football next season and will not be eligible to declare for the NFL Draft until after the 2026 season.
While there was speculation that the sophomore sensation could leave elsewhere and hit the transfer portal, he gave Ohio State fans what they wanted to hear by denying those rumors in a Tweet yesterday that wrote, “Not going nowhere,”
Through two seasons, Smith has been nothing less than sensational for the Buckeyes. He put the nation on notice last year as a freshman, hauling in 76 receptions for 1,315 yards, and 13 receiving touchdowns. This past season, he had 87 receptions for 1,243 and 12 receiving touchdowns.
Ohio State will look for Smith to help the offense next season along with quarterback Julian Sayin.
Ohio State Star Safety Declares For 2026 NFL Draft
As of right now, two known Ohio State Buckeyes have declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. Joining Tate is star safety Caleb Downs. Downs, one of the nation’s best defensive backs and safeties, earned the Jim Thorpe Award and was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year this past season.
Downs is a projected top-10 pick and could be one of the earliest safeties taken in the draft since the New York Jets selected Jamal Adams with the sixth overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft.
Downs recorded 256 tackles, 10 pass deflections, 1.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and six interceptions in three seasons.
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