Collegiate gridiron fans everywhere are celebrating the release of EA Sports College Football 25 as they get their first glimpse at all the features the game has to offer, including a ranking of all the true freshmen available to play with.
While the SEC undoubtedly dominated the top 50, it was a Big Ten player at the tippy top. With an 84 rating, Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith is currently the top-rated true freshman in EA Sports College Football 25.
Jeremiah Smith Rated No. 1 True Freshman in EA Sports College Football 25
Listed at 6’3″, 215 pounds from Miami Gardens, Florida, Smith held an offer from every elite program in the country after posting 177 catches, 3,116 yards, and 46 TDs at Chaminade-Madonna Prep, including 88 catches for 1,376 yards and 19 touchdowns as a senior.
He committed to OSU after his junior year, but he continued to flirt with other programs before and during his senior season in 2023. He officially visited Georgia, Florida, Miami (Fla.), and FSU last year and even took coach visits with the last three in December. He signed with the Buckeyes on December 21 and enrolled in February.
Now, he has the distinct designation of being the top-rated true freshman in the triumphant return of EA Sports College Football 25. His 84 rating, paired with a blazing 94 speed and 77 awareness, has him one point higher than the No. 2 rated true freshman, Georgia corner Ellis Robinson IV, with an 83 overall rating.
Smith is one of three Buckeyes and seven Big Ten players in the top 50 highest-rated true freshmen in EA Sports College Football 25:
No. 7: Dylan Raiola, QB, Nebraska
No. 13: Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
No. 15: Luke Reynolds, TE, Penn State
No. 26: Elijah Rushing, EDGE, Oregon
No. 31: Aaron Scott Jr., CB, Ohio State
No. 42: Aaron Flowers, DB, Oregon
Jeremiah Smith’s Black Stripe Removed in Record Time
The consensus top prospect on most recruiting sites for the 2024 cycle, Smith immediately lived up to the hype when he stepped onto the field for Ohio State’s spring practice.
As a rite of passage for freshmen in the Buckeyes’ program, a black strip of tape covers the scarlet stripe on their helmet. It is only to be removed after the year or if it is earned on the field before.
Smith had his black stripe removed after just four practices, setting a program record for the fastest a freshman has had it removed. Throughout spring media sessions, teammates and coaches praised him for being mature beyond his years, and he was even featured in social media posts for his jaw-dropping, circus-like catches.
“I love the way (Smith) lives. I love the way he approaches things,” OSU co-OC and WR coach Brian Hartline said in March. “I love the way – the questions he asks. I love the way he makes mistakes and then corrects mistakes. It’s very veteran-like.”
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