Is Ohio State's 5-star freshman WR Jeremiah Smith the next Julio Jones? | Akron-Ohio State Preview

State gearing up for a meeting with Akron on CBS. And it is our first look at the number one player in the 2024 class. And that is wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Man, there has been so much talk coming out of camp just how exciting a prospect he is. So for that, let's talk a little bit more about this exciting prospect prospect and welcome in National College football analyst Brandon Marcello, who has a wonderful piece out just detailing how intense he is, how incredible this prospect is. So I'm excited to see him. I mean, he was the first receiver in 24 over seven sports history to be named the number one overall prospect. But Brandon, why should we be excited about his debut today? Well, for one, he's going against competition where he's going to have his opportunities to catch the ball. But Ohio State is super excited about this guy as they should be. As you mentioned, the number one receiver in ever really. If you look at the 24 over seven sports rankings because he's the first player to be number one overall as a receiver, it's insane the type of numbers he puts up, the measurables, his instincts. This guy has it all. He's a bigger guy at six foot three, but he runs like a scatback at times. Incredible catch radius. This guy is a superstar in the making. He was probably ready to play college football a couple of years ago. You guys just watched the film on this guy. It's incredible. But when you see him in person, your jaw will drop. I can't wait to see him debut in this Ohio State offens. I mean, as you've laid out, expectations are through the roof for him. But we rarely see freshman wide receivers make that big of an impact, especially in a room as loaded as Ohio State's. So lay it out for us. What are some reasonable expectations for him to accomplish in his first year? Yeah, if you look back over the last four years, the freshman receiver has not eclipsed 264 yards. And Ohio State has been loaded with freshman receivers that have become NFL draft picks, as you know. But if you look down right now at that roster, they're going to give him an opportunity to shine. But the thing is, the top 12 receivers in 24 over seven sports history that finished in the top ten overall in the recruiting rankings since we started doing them, only one of them have ever had a 1000 yard season. Sammy Watkins. So let's temper the expectations there. Listen Jeremiah Smith probably will not have a 1000 yard season if he does, that would be incredible. But he's going to have his opportunities. Ryan Day is in love with this kid. He nearly fainted at his signing day press conference when he found out he got his letter of intent. You can go find the video. By the way. It's great. I think this kid is destined for super stardom. I can't wait to see him. What a better game for him to really come out and have a big game against a team like Akron in that defense, highly recommend you go check out that video. Ryan Day almost fell over. He was so woozy waiting to make sure he signed his National Letter of Intent, but now he is a Buckeye. If you had to maybe give the guy who hasn't played a down of college football a pro comp, who would it be? Brandon Oh, I think it's Julio Jones. Maybe even a Calvin Johnson in the past. We want to go a little bit further, but Julio Jones, the fastest receiver to ever hit 10,000 yards in the NFL. This guy though when you look at what he did at Alabama the catch rate is high. Pointing the ball. The athleticism beating everybody for 5050 balls, catching an improbable catches. This is the guy to really compare him to. When you look at him, his body movement, his leverage, his control, that's who I really comprehend him to. When you look at the past and what that Alabama offense did with Julio Jones, I think with Ohio State, though, a little bit different, very similar. He could be that go to guy. Maybe by the end of the season. I want to say right away. But going into his sophomore year this is a guy that should be their number one guy. Because remember, as you said, Ohio State is still loaded at receiver despite losing a guy like Marvin Harrison Jr in the first round. I love it in the same segment you said temper expectations and then compared him to Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. I am so excited to see his debut today. Brandon, thank you so much for breaking it all down for us. 24 over seven sports is your headquarters for all things college football. From our daily shows and content on the YouTube page to our network of team site reporters across t