Ohio State Buckeyes star Jeremiah Smith makes major announcement on Monday

The Ohio State Buckeyes knew they had something special when they earned a commitment from wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. What they didn't know is just how special he could become.

Smith put together an elite freshman season in 2024. He was a huge part of leading Ohio State to a national championship win and is barely scratching the surface of his full potential.

Throughout the course of the 2024 college football season, Smith caught 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns. There is plenty more production where that came from.

Due to his impressive career start, Smith has become one of the most popular names in all of college football. He is also opening the door to a lot of NIL money for himself.

On Monday, Smith took to Instagram to share a major announcement. He has locked in an NIL deal with the Mark Wahlberg Auto Group.

"Glad to be joining the Mark Wahlberg Auto Group," his post read.

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At this point in time, no further details have been revealed about what kind of NIL money he received for the deal. However, it's a big get for his portfolio and is undoubtedly earning himself a lot of cash.

Looking ahead to the 2025 college season with the Buckeyes, Smith will be under much more pressure to produce at an even higher level than he did as a freshman. Will Howard, the team's starting quarterback, is gone, which will make Smith even more important for whoever wins the job.

Ohio State is expected to have either Julian Sayin or Lincoln Kienholz as their starting quarterback this year.

Regardless of which quarterback wins the starting job, they will have a potential generational talent to throw to. It will be interesting to see how Smith plays in his second season with the Buckeyes.