10 Y/O Jeremiah Smith's eye-catching training clip resurfaces as Ryan Day's superstar gears up to defend national championship

Ohio State Buckeyes Jeremiah Smith is coming off a sensational freshman season, playing an integral role in their first national championship win since 2014. With 1,315 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns, Smith broke the single-season record for receiving yards and touchdowns by a true freshman.

As he gears up for his sophomore season, an old footage of him is making waves on social media and for good reason. It shows a then-10-year-old Smith making an acrobatic leaping grab on a Florida practice field. It was shared by @_MLFootball on Friday.

“Jit might be a 5 star if he keep working,” one early comment in the video reads.

The prediction stood correct, as Smith has gone on to become the highest-ranked wide receiver recruit in the modern recruiting era (2000–present), surpassing the likes of Dorial Green-Beckham and Julio Jones.

Despite offers from programs like Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami and USC, Smith chose Ryan Day's Buckeyes as five-star recruit. He was named the 2025 Rose Bowl Offensive MVP in the game against the Oregon Ducks, where he had seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns.

It goes without saying that Jeremiah Smith was First-Team All-American, Freshman of the Year and Big Ten Receiver of the Year.

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Ryan Day reveals how he's helping Jeremiah Smith & Co. to get better each day

Ryan Day is gearing up for the title defense and will have high hopes from Jeremiah Smith to build on his massive freshman season.

On Wednesday, on College GameDay Podcast, Day was asked how he manages things with high-profile recruits who could get distracted with NIL and off-field stuff. Day was rather diplomatic with his answer and said that he does the coaching duties and provides them with everything that can make them better.

"I think it’s important to make sure that we provide them with a staff that they feel is helping them get better every day," Day said (31:05 onwards).

"For Jeremiah and Carnell and those guys—Brian and myself—we’re surrounding them with as much information as we can to help them get better. And as long as they feel like they’re getting better every time."

The Buckeyes will have two goals in the 2025 season: defend their NCAA Title and get the long-awaited win against arch rivals Michigan.