Ja’Marr Chase doesn’t hand out receiver praise lightly, and when Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith came up ahead of Sunday’s matchup with the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Bengals star sounded genuinely impressed.
Asked Thursday about Smith’s run of elite production in Columbus, Chase pointed straight to the standard that comes with wearing an Ohio State uniform.
“You playing at Ohio State, you set records. You are one of the best.
If not one of the best, you are the best receiver in college,” Chase told reporters on Thursday. “So, I mean, I don’t got nothing to say about him.
The dude is crazy good, you know what I’m saying?”
Smith’s résumé already backs up plenty of that talk. He owns Ohio State’s career receiving yards record with 3,175. He is one touchdown catch away from tying Chris Olave for the school’s receiving touchdowns record, and he needs nine more receptions to match Emeka Egbuka for the catches mark.
What stood out most in Chase’s comments, though, wasn’t just the compliment. It was the trait he singled out as the one that really matters when a college receiver is trying to make the jump.
Contested catches.
“I can’t really watch a lot of his highlight tapes and see what his role looks like, but (he) put up a lot of stats,” Chase said. “So he gotta get open somehow. I mean, if you’re making contested catches, that’s - that’s an A-plus, not a B, you know.”
That’s the kind of detail that tells you Chase was watching for something deeper than box-score production. Easy catches in space can pile up fast. Winning a ball with a defender draped all over you is a different skill entirely, and it’s one that translates when the windows get smaller and the coverage gets tighter.
Chase also touched on how defensive attention changes once a receiver reaches the NFL. Asked about the difference between college and pro coverage, he pointed to the added burden elite targets face at the next level.
“I want to say the biggest thing is just like more double teams,” he said.
Even with LSU having another star in Justin Jefferson during his college days, Chase’s point was clear: the jump to the pros means more eyes, more bodies, and less room to breathe. That’s why contested wins matter so much.
It’s one thing to dominate when you’re the featured guy. It’s another to keep doing it when defenses start tilting the field your way.
From Chase’s perspective, Smith looks like a receiver built for that challenge. The numbers are already there. The real separator, in his view, is the ability to finish through contact and come down with the tough ones.
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Julian Sayin Sends Ohio State Offense A Clear Warning Before Iowa
Julian Sayin left the Illinois game sounding more like a quarterback settling into the bigger picture than one looking for a quick victory lap. He pointed to the offense's steady progress, the value of keeping drives alive with his legs, and the growing comfort level around him as young receivers continue to take on larger roles. Jeremiah Smith has been a central part of that mix, and Sayin also credited the veteran offensive linemen for helping stabilize things up front as the Buckeyes keep building.
The next test comes with another road trip, and Sayin made it clear those spots demand sharper execution and a little more maturity from everyone involved. Iowa is the kind of place where the margin for error can shrink fast, and Ohio State's quarterback knows the offense cannot treat this as a finished product. The message from Sayin was simple enough: the Buckeyes have come a long way, but the real work is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Still Has One Passing Game Issue Jeremiah Smith Cant Solve
Jeremiah Smith has been everything Ohio State could have hoped for in the passing game, and then some. The offensive coordinator, Arthur Smith, pointed to the wideouts exceptional production, with Jeremiah Smith leading the nation in receiving yards and touchdowns, while the Buckeyes continue to lean on him as the centerpiece of the aerial attack.
Still, the passing game has one lingering question beyond its star. Ohio State is trying to establish a reliable second option, with Devin McCuin currently sitting as the teams second-leading receiver, and coaches and players have kept stressing that the offense will need more than one target to keep evolving. The message from inside the program is clear enough: the Buckeyes are pleased with the production they have, but they also know the next layer of consistency has to come from somewhere else. [Read more 🡒]
Ohio State Has One Huge Chance To Make A National Statement
Ohio State heads into a rare early measuring-stick game with a chance to leave no doubt about where it stands nationally. The Buckeyes have looked sharp enough to build real momentum, and the next step comes in a difficult road setting where every possession matters and every explosive play carries extra weight.
Jeremiah Smith remains one of the biggest reasons this game has taken on added intrigue, even beyond the team stakes around him. With the matchup set against unbeaten Iowa and its stingy defense at Kinnick Stadium, Ohio State will also be watching how Julian Sayin handles the moment and whether the defense can create the kind of turnovers that turn a good win into something louder. [Read more 🡒]