Jeremiah Smith is headed into what could be the defining season of his Ohio State career, and the Buckeyes star is already sitting on a long list of what-ifs.
Smith said at Media Day that Alabama was his dream school growing up in South Florida, but the Crimson Tide never came after him. That opened the door for Ohio State to land the top recruit in the country in the 2024 class.
“Growing up my dream school was Alabama when Nick Saban was there. But they wasn’t recruiting me.”
That missed opportunity looks even bigger now. Smith has become one of the best receivers in Ohio State history, and he enters his final college season with a chance to keep rewriting the record book before he leaves early for the NFL Draft.
Alabama’s timing didn’t help. Nick Saban retired after the 2023 season, and Kalen DeBoer apparently turned his attention elsewhere.
The source article says DeBoer wanted Ryan Coleman-Williams instead, and that choice has not aged well. Coleman-Williams’ numbers dropped last year compared with his freshman season, while Smith has doubled him up in nearly every major stat over the last two seasons.
Ohio State has gotten the payoff. Smith was the Buckeyes’ best player during their 2024 national championship run, and he was even better last year. Now, in 2026, he’s aiming to be the best player in the country and help Ohio State chase another title.
The story could have looked very different in Tuscaloosa. The source notes that Smith likely wouldn’t have put up the same numbers at Alabama, pointing to the Tide’s quarterback play, and he also wouldn’t have the national championship ring he earned with Ohio State.
There’s still plenty left for him to chase in Columbus. By the end of this season, Smith has a shot to own every major Ohio State receiving record. Even a solid year could leave him atop the program in catches, touchdowns and receiving yards, which would put him in rare company.
The NFL is waiting too. Smith has a chance to be a top-three pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, and at minimum he looks like a top-five selection and the premier weapon in the country. Teams, according to the source, are already eager to get him in their building and make him an immediate difference-maker.
For now, Smith says his focus is on winning every game for Ohio State. Ryan Day said at Media Day that Smith could barely walk before last year’s Michigan game and still played great, a detail that says plenty about how much he’s embraced the Buckeyes now.
What could have been for Bama.
In Other News...
Penn States Next Lead Back Battle Is Starting To Take Shape
Penn State is entering a new era at running back after saying goodbye to Kaytron Allen and Nick Singleton, a tandem that piled up 7,641 rushing yards from 2022 to 2025 and helped define the offense for four seasons. With that production now in the rearview, the attention has shifted to how the Nittany Lions rebuild the backfield around a group that is still taking shape but already has some obvious candidates.
At Big Ten Football Media Days, Matt Campbell sounded confident about the options available, pointing to transfers Carson Hansen and James Peoples, along with returnee Quinton Martin Jr., as players who can help carry the load. Campbell talked through what each brings from past stops and from Penn States own roster, and while the pecking order is not fully settled yet, the early outline suggests the Nittany Lions believe they have enough pieces to keep the position from becoming a question mark. [Read more 🡒]
Penn State's First Real Matt Campbell Test May Come Sooner Than Fans Think
Matt Campbells first Penn State team already has the feel of a group people will be trying to figure out on the fly. With a new head coach, a largely revamped roster and a fresh staff entering the 2026 season, the Nittany Lions are one of the more interesting unknowns in the Big Ten. ESPN analyst Bill Connelly recently leaned into that uncertainty, pointing to Penn State as a possible dark horse as the schedule starts to take shape.
The early road map also suggests the pressure could arrive sooner than some fans expect. A Week 6 matchup with USC stands out as the kind of game that can tell you a lot about where this team is headed under Campbell, especially with the conference slate offering little room to settle in. For a program trying to establish a new identity quickly, those first real measuring-stick games may end up defining the conversation around Penn State long before the season reaches its midpoint. [Read more 🡒]
Benjamin Brahmer Gives Penn State A Tight End Question To Solve
Benjamin Brahmer arrives at Penn State with the kind of profile that can make a tight end room more interesting in a hurry. The former Iowa State transfer brings real value as a red zone target, along with the athleticism and hands that suggest he can create problems for defenses when the field gets tighter and space gets scarce.
What makes him such a notable fit is also what makes the evaluation more complicated. Brahmer has the tools to matter in Penn States offense, especially as the Nittany Lions look at how he might complement the other tight ends already in the mix, but his game is still a work in progress in a few key areas. The next step is figuring out how much he can expand beyond a specialized role and turn those traits into something the offense can lean on more often. [Read more 🡒]