There is quite a bit of pressure on Ohio State head football coach Ryan Day every year, but it has multiplied quite a bit in recent seasons. Ohio State has lost three straight games to archrival Michigan, and Buckeyes supporters have run out of patience.
But as the 2024 season approaches, there's reason for optimism in Columbus. Not only will the Buckeyes have a good shot at regaining the upper hand in the rivalry with the Wolverines, the Buckeyes appear to be in an excellent position to compete for a national championship.
Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith prepared to make strong entrance
Ohio State is going to be loaded with offensive talent, and it looks like the stream of wide receiver talent is running at full blast once again. They have a freshman wide receiver in Jeremiah Smith who could fill the shoes of receivers like Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Jeremiah Smith may be a first-year player, but he is 6-3 and 215 pounds. He is a remarkable athlete and comes to Ohio State as an accomplished receiver. He has excellent size, speed and hands, and he is ready to compete against elite defensive backs and win the battle. That's because he can overpower most cornerbacks and he is also a dynamic route runner who excels at making the contested catch.
He gets excellent separation when he runs his routes, and he also knows how to wall off defenders with his body control and he has remarkable concentration.
Once he makes the catch, he has shown the ability to run away from defenders and also run through arm tackles.
Even though he has yet to play his first college football game, he appears to be a player who will be drafted in the first round once he is ready to start his professional career.
QB battle is still to be decided
Head coach Ryan Day has to figure out who his starting quarterback is going to be this season. Holdover Devin Brown is in a battle with Kansas State transfer Will Howard for the QB1 position. At the start of spring practice, it appeared that Howard was going to have a big advantage in the competition.
However, Brown has been very impressive and he has made some of the kind of throws that will be demanded of him during the season.
Day has seen quite a bit of progress from Brown. “He had some really good throws, he missed some throws as well, but I think it’s slowing down for him,” Day said, per the Athletic. “He does a good job in the pocket of having poise in there. … You can’t see the pocket or see the rush, but you can feel it and I think he does.
Lincoln Kienholz is Ohio State's third quarterback.
Smith put on an impressive show in spring practice
The Buckeyes will have an impressive group of receivers once again in 2024. Emeka Egbuka and Quinshon Judkins will join Smith as the team's primary pass catchers.
Smith opened eyes at practice. While the Florida native has come to Columbus with a ton of hype, he has shown seasoned observers that he may be even better than the hype.
Smith made a one-on-one catch against sophomore CB Jermaine Mathews Jr. that had a very high degree of difficulty. Mathews was very physical with Smith, but that did not bother the receiver. He made a brilliant catch on a challenging pass from Kienholz that indicated his true talent level.
“Jeremiah has really stepped in and got his black stripe off real quick,” Day said. “He has a great approach. I’m going to be careful what I say, but he’s been a pleasure to watch and we’re all excited about his future.”
Smith could turn out to be Ohio State's most talented skill-position player.
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