Buckeye Weekly Podcast: Will Jeremiah Smith Be An Immediate Starter For The Buckeyes?

The Buckeyes landed the top player in the 2024 class in Florida wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, but what should be expected of him next year as a true freshman? This is just one of the listener questions tackled by Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman in this episode of the Buckeye Weekly Podcast.

Along with the discussion about Smith and his starting possibilities, the fellas also answer questions about the possibilities that Ohio State can flip five-star defensive tackle Dominick McKinley, how to improve the relationship between quarterback Air Noland and Jeremiah Smith, will the NCAA go easier on Michigan if Jim Harbaugh is already gone, how many more Buckeyes hit the transfer portal, ranking JT Tuimoloau, Emeka Egbuka, and Treveyon Henderson in order of most important to return, and will quarterback Lincoln Kienholz get an opportunity in the Cotton Bowl?

Here is an AI-generated rundown of the show’s topics.

• Ohio State football recruitment and roommates. 0:01
  • Tony is skeptical of Ohio State’s chances of signing five-star defensive tackle Dominick McKinley, citing the school’s recent history of not signing defensive linemen from The South and Ryan Day’s statement that the team is content with their current defensive line numbers.
  • Tom Orr analyzes the challenges of recruiting in Louisiana and against the SEC, highlighting the competition from local schools like LSU, Alabama, and Texas A&M.
• College football players’ living arrangements. 5:15
  • Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss the potential for Air Noland and Jeremiah Smith to room together at the All-American Bowl, with Tony expressing his support for the idea and Tom mentioning that Mr. Business (Tony’s cat) may need to be added to the podcast’s official logo and description.
  • Tony Gerdeman highlights the importance of quarterbacks rooming with their teammates, including Noland, and Tom agrees, with Tony noting that Ryan Day has mentioned Noland as the leader of the team.
  • Tom Orr discusses the strategic placement of players in dorms to foster team bonding and prevent cliques.
• College football coaching penalties and scholarship reductions. 10:20
  • Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discuss the potential punishments for Michigan football in the wake of the Harbaugh scandal, with a focus on scholarship reductions and coaching penalties.
  • The speakers agree that postseason bans are unlikely, but scholarship reductions and coaching penalties are possible, with a focus on addressing institutional control and lack of punishment for the head coach.
  • Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss the potential postseason ban for Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh due to NCAA allegations.
  • Tom Orr expects a smaller wave of Ohio State players to enter the transfer portal after the bowl game, potentially 3-4 players.
• Ohio State football player Jeremiah Smith’s potential to start in 2024. 16:35
  • Tony Gerdeman expects 3-4 players to transfer due to lack of playing time, while Tom Orr refers to the spring as the “Spring Awakening” where underperforming players realize they may not be in the right lane.
  • Tom Orr believes Jeremiah Smith may not be a day-one starter due to competition in the receiver room, but he could be an eventual starter or spot starter.
  • Tom sets the over/under for Jeremiah Smith’s number of starts in 2024 at 0.5, with the possibility of him starting more if someone gets hurt.
• Ohio State football receivers and their potential for 30 catches. 21:19
  • Tom Orr expects Jeremiah Smith to be the latest true freshman receiver to reach 30 catches next year.
  • Tony Gerdeman and Tom Orr discussed the starting receivers for the Ohio State Buckeyes in 2004, with Santonio Holmes and Anthony Gonzalez being the main options.
• Ohio State football players’ importance for 2023 season. 25:24
• • They agree that TreVeyon Henderson is the most important player to return, followed by Emeka Egbuka and JT Tuimoloau.
  • Both analysts consider the return of any or all of these players to be a game-changer for the wide receiver room, particularly with a new quarterback and unproven receivers.
  • Tom Orr suggests giving Lincoln Kienholz meaningful snaps in the Cotton Bowl to get him more experience and film time, even if it means potentially sacrificing the outcome of the game.
  • Orr believes the ultimate goal of the Cotton Bowl is to make Ohio State the best they can be heading into spring ball and the 2024 season, rather than solely focusing on winning the game.
• Ohio State football team’s quarterback situation and playing younger players in the Cotton Bowl. 31:58
  • Coaches may prioritize next year’s roster over this year’s Cotton Bowl performance, potentially limiting Lincoln Kienholz’s playing time.
  • Tom Orr and Tony Gerdeman discuss the upcoming game and the potential for younger players to get playing time.

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