Ohio State Receiver Jeremiah Smith Named Big Ten Receiver Of The Year, Freshman Of The Year

COLUMBUS — Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith has been named the Richter-Howard Big Ten Receiver of the Year and the Thompson-Randle El Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Through 12 games this season, Smith has posted 57 receptions, 934 yards, and 10 touchdowns. He is now the Ohio State freshman record holder on all three categories. Those records were all previously set by Cris Carter (41 rec, 648 yds, 8 TDs) in 1984.

Smith is currently fourth in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (77.8 ypg) and tied for most touchdown catches. He was also named First-Team All-Big Ten this season by the conference coaches and media.

Smith caught touchdown passes in his first seven games as a Buckeye, which is by far a school record. He also became the first player in school history to record a touchdown catch in the first five games of a season. Then he did it in the sixth and seventh games as well for good measure.

Smith has also run the ball four times for 47 yards and a touchdown.

A Florida native, Jeremiah Smith was the No. 1 recruit nationally in 2024.

An Ohio State receiver has now won the Big Ten Receiver of the Year award three years in a row, as Marvin Harrison, Jr. earned the nod in 2023 and 2022. Smith is now just the second Buckeye to win the award, which began in 2011.

Smith is the first Buckeye to win the Big Ten’s Freshman of the Year award since quarterback CJ Stroud won it as a redshirt freshman in 2021. Running back Mike Weber (2016) and quarterback JT Barrett (2014) also won the award as redshirt freshmen. Quarterback Braxton Miller won it as a true freshman in 2011.

Past Ohio State winners of the award also include QB Terrelle Pryor (2008), RB Maurice Clarett (2002), LB Andy Katzenmoyer (1996), OT Orlando Pace (1994), OT Korey Stringer (1992), and RB Robert Smith (1990).

The award began in 1986 and was renamed in 2011 after past winners Darrell Thompson — who was the first winner — and Antwaan Randle-El. Thompson was a running back for the Minnesota Golden Gophers, and Randle-El was a quarterback for the Indiana Hoosiers.

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