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4 hours ago
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The Buckeyes aren't even a week removed from their national championship victory over Notre Dame, and one of their biggest stars may be on the move.
On3Sports reported that star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who led Ohio State in receiving this past season, is in negotiations with the Buckeyes to remain in Columbus or enter the portal. Since the national championship game was last Monday, players from both schools have until Jan. 25 to enter their names into the portal.
The Sporting News takes a closer look at the latest speculation surrounding Smith and whether or not he might try to play elsewhere for the 2025 season.
MORE: Top storylines for the 2025 college football season
Will Jeremiah Smith leave Ohio State?
Ohio State is in the process of trying to retain its current roster among players who still have eligibility, according to On3Sports' Pete Nakos. Nakos added that Smith has received an offer of $4.5 million from another school and that fellow Buckeye receiver Carnell Tate has received a $1 million offer.
Matt Hayes of USA Today suggests that Smith should move back closer to his hometown of Opa Locka, Florida, and transfer to Miami, which just landed quarterback Carson Beck out of Georgia. For now, it sounds like these are pretty routine discussions between players and schools after a big season.
Ryan Day and offensive coordinator Chip Kelly seemingly aren't going anywhere. Although quarterback Will Howard doesn't have eligibility left, Ohio State is expected to turn to talented signal-caller Julian Sayin, who transferred from Alabama last offseason.
On paper, it would make more sense for Smith to remain in Columbus, but college football is now a free-market economy, and you can't blame other schools for trying to lure him. You also can't blame Smith for trying to work on a new deal with the Buckeyes for 2025 after his monster season.
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Jeremiah Smith NIL deals, net worth
It has not been publicly reported the exact dollar amount Smith made during the 2024-25 season, but Ohio State notoriously spent $20 million to build its national championship roster. Per On3Sports, Smith has NIL deals with companies like Nintendo, Red Bull and Lululemon, among others.
Smith was a former five-star recruiting prospect and the No. 1 overall prospect in the country, per the 247Sports Composite. You can imagine he received a significant NIL deal to sign with Ohio State.
Jeremiah Smith stats
Despite entering the season as a true freshman, Smith was so talented that he became the focal point of Ohio State's offense. He finished as the Buckeyes' leading receiver by over 300 yards, ahead of guys like Emeka Egbuka and Tate.
| Season | Receptions | Yards | TDs | YPC | Rush Yards | Rush TDs |
| 2024 | 76 | 1,315 | 15 | 17.3 | 47 | 1 |
For now, these appear to just be rumblings about Smith, but there's no question that if it does appear the receiver mulls transferring, it would be a huge story within college football.
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