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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith boldly promises victories over Michigan in 2025, 2026
While they might be running short on wins against Michigan football, they're not running short on bravado about The Game in Columbus. The Ohio State ilk have long accepted their role in the rivalry as one where they have a birthright to beat the Wolverines. After a decade and a half of unparalleled domination, it stands to reason that they would have confidence. But that confidence eventually turned into cockiness, and when Michigan beat the Buckeyes in 2021, the OSU contingent never recalibrated, instead, doubling and tripling down just about every year. After 2021's loss, the excuses became rampant. Whether it was the flu or the weather, there was always a reason other than Michigan dominating the trenches. In the lead-up to the 2022 edition, it became even more clear that the scarlet and gray considered it their birthright to beat the Wolverines, with wide receivers coach Brian Hartline giving a speech during the pregame 'skull session' about how they've waited and worked in the silence for a solid year, all while Michigan had the unmitigated gall to celebrate its win the previous year. That game ended the same as the one before. Entering the 2023 game, it was all about Connor Stalions, as his alleged advanced scouting scheme was apparently the cipher for Ohio State's woes against Michigan. Now we would see the ship righted, with OSU getting back to its winning ways in The Game. Yet, without Stalions and without Jim Harbaugh (who was suspended by the Big Ten for Stalions' alleged scheme), Michigan won again. In 2024, a reeling Wolverines team entered Columbus with one of the worst passing attacks in all of college football, a three-score underdog, and yet, ended up beating the eventual national champion. So, lessons have been learned, right? Humility has permeated the Woody Hayes Athletic Center and now the Buckeyes are recognizing, hey, Michigan has our number, it's back to the drawing board? Nope. Instead, more hubris. Sophomore OSU wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is already among the best players in all of college football at the moment, and he might even be the best at his young age. But one thing is certain -- he has the same amount of hubris as his predecessors. He spoke to The Athletic, not just saying that the Buckeyes would have better showings against Michigan, but instead promising that they would beat the Wolverines the next two seasons. 'I'm not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,' Smith said. 'In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs. But I didn't want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north. I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can't lose to them in the next two years.' It's one thing to be confident, it's another to be arrogant. Smith, like we acknowledged, may be the best player in college football. But stellar wide receiver (or quarterback) play has not been what's hampered the Buckeyes in The Game. No, it's been their line play compared to Michigan, and even with the departures of Mason Graham and Kenneth Grant, it doesn't seem like it's at the same level on either side of the ball. What's more, this upcoming iteration of The Game is in Ann Arbor, and the Wolverines should have a vastly improved offense with new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey and quarterback Bryce Underwood. If Michigan continues to dominate in the trenches, it doesn't really show any sign of slowing down in this rivalry. Additionally, as we saw last year, Michigan appears to have the mental edge on Ohio State at the moment, with uncharacteristic mistakes coming from the Buckeye contingent in The Game -- not dissimilar from how things were for the Wolverines in their decade-plus stretch of struggling in the rivalry. Regardless, Smith's words are almost certainly being pumped up throughout Schembechler Hall. We'll see if he ends up being prescient or rueing the day that he decided to make a promise that's up to more than just him.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rivals Five-Star: Breaking down the wide receivers
INDIANAPOLIS – The stars came out for the 2025 Rivals Five-Star event at the Indianapolis Colts' facility this week. Here we break down the top receivers from the event. MORE FROM INDY: Highlights and analysis | Teams that should be pleased | Gorney Awards | Biggest surprises | Flip watch | QB analysis | RB analysis RECRUITING INTEL: Mid-South | Florida | West | Southeast | Midwest RIVALS FIVE-STAR MEDIA DAY: All the news, notes and interviews | The All-Lobby Team | How solid are the commitments? | Roster RIVALS FIVE-STAR INTERVIEWS: Jaden O'Neal | Trae Taylor | Chase Calicut | Samu Moala | Jake Kreul | Felix Ojo | Peyton Houston | CJ Sadler | Richard Wesley | JaReylan McCoy | Carter Scruggs | Nolan Wilson | Carson Sneed | Derrek Cooper | Devin Carter | Jayden Wade | Joel Wyatt | Kaden Henderson | Nick Abrams The five-star Ohio State commit gets better every time I see him. His impressive track speed is what everyone knows about. But his ability to run crisp routes, create separation and catch the ball continue to get better. That's a scary proposition for opposing defenses. Advertisement Many programs including Tennessee are trying to move him off his commitment to Ohio State. It'll be tough to do so as long as coach Brian Hartline is on staff. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT Gregory is a consistent performer at every event. He just makes plays. The Texas A&M commitment is a crafty route runner that gets just enough separation on his routes. But his calling card is his hands. Gregory rarely drops a pass and we didn't see it happen again during the Rivals Five-Star. Coach Mike Elko will have a very dependable weapon in his offense. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH TEXAS A&M FANS AT The IMG Academy star was one of the youngest players in attendance but made a huge impact. He won the fastest man competition, beating everyone in the finals. McFarland was consistently open during the one-on-ones and 7-on-7 portion of camp. Advertisement He's a name the country will know about in short order. Sadler was one of the bigger surprises of camp. We knew he was good but no one saw it coming that he'd be able to get open with such ease against some of the best defensive backs in the country. The Michigan native is electric in the slot and took home MVP honors. North Carolina has the momentum in this recruitment. But Colorado, Maryland, Michigan and Michigan State are still in the hunt for him.
Yahoo
05-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Star Playmaker Has No Words on Major Ohio State Announcement
Few young people follow the cliché, but it still often rings true. A picture, on its own, is worth a 1,000 words. That's what four-star wide receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt appeared to believe with a post of a picture without a caption following his commitment to the Ohio State Buckeyes. Advertisement On Sunday, Dixon-Wyatt tweeted a photo of Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline. In the picture, Hartline is smiling while holding a cigar. The wideout had the photo on his X (formerly Twitter) account about an hour after On3's Hayes Fawcett reported Dixon-Wyatt committed to Ohio State. "The 6'2 180 WR from Oakland, CA chose the Buckeyes over Oregon and Alabama," tweeted Fawcett. Ohio State Buckeyes offensive coordinator Brian Hartline© Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Dixon-Wyatt is the No. 15 receiver in the 2026 recruiting class. The same rankings also have Dixon-Wyatt rated as the No. 15 California prospect and No. 107 overall recruit in the class. Advertisement Dixon-Wyatt is considerably higher ranked on the 247Sports-only rankings. On that ranking list, he is the No. 6 receiver and No. 59 overall prospect in the class. Based on either ratings, the Buckeyes have landed yet another verbal commitment from a highly-touted wide receiver in the 2026 recruiting class. With Dixon-Wyatt, Ohio State has landed three four-star receivers and a three-star wideout in the 2026 class. The program's current top commitment in the class is Dixon-Wyatt's high school teammate, receiver Chris Henry Jr. Dixon-Wyatt is Ohio State's No. 3 2026 commitment according to 247Sports. Advertisement Local prospect Jaeden Ricketts, who is from Pataskala, Ohio, is the other four-star receiver committed to Ohio State in the 2026 class. Those three stars will join a Buckeyes receiving group next year that will still have star Jeremiah Smith, who isn't eligible to enter the NFL Draft until 2027. A native of Southlake, Texas, Brock Boyd is the three-star receiver committed to Ohio State in 2026. Related: Ohio State Football Gets Good News on Touted Playmaker
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Star Playmaker Sends Strong Message on Ohio State Football
The Ohio State Buckeyes rank No. 3 in On3's 2026 team recruiting rankings with 11 commits. The receiver room is quite crowded with three prospects, including a five-star, but the management is still pushing for more. Ohio State's spring campus visit from four-star wide receiver Jalen Lott left the Panther Creek (Frisco, TX) standout with no doubt that the Buckeyes stand alone atop college football's recruiting pyramid, per Mick Walker's April 30 report. Advertisement '(Brian Hartline) didn't really sell it that much because, I mean, the whole thing was like it's Ohio State,' Lott told Lettermen Row. 'Like it's just Ohio State. It's incomparable to anywhere else. He doesn't really have to compare schools to school or who's better. He knows that they're the best and that was kind of like his message.' Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Ryan Day© Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images It was good,' He added about his visit. 'Going there is definitely like nowhere else. I feel like the only place that matches the work ethic like that is Georgia, maybe, but still, I think Ohio State is on a level of their own.' A member of a finalist group that includes Miami, USC, Oregon and LSU, Lott's itinerary includes official visits to Texas on June 13, USC and Oregon on June 20, with Miami also on his radar. Advertisement He conducted his spring visit under the guidance of wide receivers coach Brian Hartline and had positive things to say about him. 'It was definitely good being able to gain a lot of knowledge and see how he coaches the top players in the country,' Lott said. 'Like it's like it's just cool to see. He's definitely a very serious guy, but also he has a side to him that I like, a little cockiness. I kind of like that.' Related: Special Guest at Braves-Dodgers Turns Heads
USA Today
15-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ohio State football flips 4-star 2026 receiver from TCU
Ohio State football flips 4-star 2026 receiver from TCU It's no secret the Ohio State football program has pulled in the best wide receiving talent over the last few years, and it just landed another one. Ever since Brian Hartline burst onto the scene as the wide receivers coach he has upped the talent at the position. He's still there, just with the new fandangled title of Offensive Coordinator. The Buckeyes have a deep receiver room already and have already pulled in two blue-chip pass catchers in the 2026 class, including five-star talent Chris Henry Jr. He joins four-star prospect Jaeden Ricketts as a tandem of talented guys who will continue that tradition, but now there's another that has joined the fold. According to an announcement on his X account, another four-star receiver, Brock Boyd, has flipped his commitment from TCU over to Ohio State, making it three dynamic receiving prospects in the 2026 cycle. Out of Southlake Carroll High School, the same high school as former OSU and Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers, Boyd is ranked as the No. 58 receiver and 374th overall prospect in 2026 according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. But, as we have seen in the past, the OSU staff does a fantastic job of identifying talent at the position and you can probably expect him to get a bump based on this news going forward. Last season, as a junior, Boyd hauled in 111 passes for 1,875 yards and 19 touchdowns, helping his team to a 15-1 record and just a whisker away from winning a state title. With the commitment, Ohio State now has 11 verbal pledges in the 2026 class with plenty of more room to add to a haul that is quickly rising up the national rankings. OSU now has the No. 2 ranked overall class according to the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings and will look to continue the momentum it currently has on the recruiting trail. We'll have more recruiting news as it becomes available, but it sure looks like the Buckeyes are back up among the elite, as you would expect after taking home the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff national title. Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
