Jeremiah Smith has seen enough freshman wideouts at Ohio State to know the real thing when he spots it, and Brock Boyd has already earned that kind of attention.
Smith said Boyd’s play style instantly brought him back to his own first days in Columbus, pointing to the way the freshman attacked contested catches and kept making plays.
“He was out there just making plays, diving for the ball, two defenders on him, doing a lot of crazy stuff,” Smith said in a video shared by Eleven Warriors. “It reminded me of myself when I first got here in the spring, just out there making plays.”
That’s not the kind of comparison Smith throws around lightly. He arrived and immediately turned into one of the most dangerous receivers in college football, so his praise for Boyd carries real weight. Smith said the freshman has the kind of hunger and versatility Ohio State wants from a receiver who may need to help right away.
“He’s just a football player,” Smith said. “He came in and just wanted to make plays and do great things. He’s hungry.”
The part that may stand out most to Smith is Boyd’s grasp of the playbook. He pointed to the freshman’s ability to handle every receiver spot as a sign that Boyd is ahead of the curve.
“For a freshman, for him to know every receiver spot and what they’re doing, that’s pretty impressive,” Smith said. “He’s a very smart football player, and he’s going to play a lot this year.”
Boyd’s rise could give Ohio State another live option in a room that already centers on Smith and senior Brandon Inniss. Inniss started last season, but his production never matched the buzz that followed him as a former five-star prospect. Smith said the outside chatter has been impossible to miss.
“We all been hearing it,” Smith said. “He been hearing it.
I’ve been hearing it, and sometimes I be wanting to say something, but I remember I can’t. Well, I can, but I choose not to sometimes.”
Even with that noise hanging around, Smith is confident Inniss is ready to answer on the field.
“Brandon’s going to have a great year,” Smith said. “Brandon’s going to be good. He knows the things he’s got to do.”
Smith added that Inniss has handled the criticism without letting it get to him.
“He doesn’t really pay that crap any attention,” Smith said. “He just laughs at it and keeps going on about his day.”
There’s another important piece to this offense, too: Julian Sayin. Smith said the quarterback has taken a noticeable step after a summer spent training with him and getting pushed by strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti.
“We’ve been pushing each other,” Smith said. “Me and Coach Mick have been pushing him very, very hard this offseason. You’re going to see a different Julian this year, for sure.”
Smith is also putting even more pressure on himself, and he knows it. He said he tends to dwell on his mistakes, including a recent practice when he kicked a bag after running a route incorrectly and dropping a pass.
“That’s how Kobe [Bryant] was and all the greats who did it,” Smith said. “They just wanted to be perfect at everything. You’re not going to be perfect at everything that you do, but just the mentality of having it is special.”
And as Smith sees it, this could be his last run at Ohio State. With Boyd pushing for a role, Inniss looking for a breakout and Sayin settling in at quarterback, he thinks the Buckeyes have enough firepower to make it count.
“It’s probably my last season here,” Smith said. “But it’s going to be a show.”
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