Ohio State Buckeyes Star Dubbed The ‘LeBron James of Football’
Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is built differently. He’s 6-foot-3, 215 pounds and has a mix of athleticism, size and speed that makes him elite. He’s also built differently mentally because he came into Columbus as the consensus top recruit in the country and he more than lived up to the hype.
Former Ohio State wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. agrees with the assessment of Smith’s differences from his peers. He stands out in every way. Harrison, who plays for the Arizona Cardinals nowadays, was on THE Podcast and had this to say about the current OSU star wide receiver.
“I think he is the LeBron James of football,” Harrison said. “He’s built differently than everyone else. Just athletically gifted, the mindset that he has. As a football player it’s really special to see the talent and who he is as a character. There is no limit for him…”
As Harrison said, there may truly not be a limit to what Smith can accomplish at Ohio State.
He came in as a freshman and caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns, averaging 17.3 yards per catch. This was as a true freshman, mind you. There was no redshirt year to get ready.
Smith stepped onto the field and started producing like an elite veteran wideout. In his very first collegiate game, he caught six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns. He caught five touchdowns total in Ohio State’s epic run through the inaugural 12-team College Football Playoff.
He’s a phenom and a freak and he’s only 19 years old. The LeBron James comparison is spot on in that regard. In fact, if Smith could have gone straight to the NFL and skipped college entirely, he may have put up the same type of numbers in the league that he did for the Buckeyes this past season.
That’s not how things work in football, and the Buckeyes should thank their lucky stars for that. They’ve got Smith for at least two more seasons.
