"I definitely talked to Cam Ward" - Jeremiah Smith reveals how close he was to joining Miami before making decision on Ohio State

Jeremiah Smith had a stellar season at Ohio State in 2024. As a true freshman, the wide receiver played a crucial role in the Buckeyes' run to the national championship. He had one of the best seasons for a freshman, recording 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns.

However, that amazing story was a few inches from never happening. The wide receiver considered flipping his commitment to Miami when he was meant to sign the National Letter of Intent. He disclosed he had a conversation with the Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward.

“What went into me taking a long period to send my NLI in was just paperwork, the business side of things,” Smith told Ari Wasserman and Andy Staples at the Big Ten media days when asked about the signing delays. “That night, I definitely talked to Cam Ward. Thought about something, but … ”

Smith was asked about his response to Ward when the two spoke on the phone. The quarterback had just transferred to Miami after two seasons at Washington State.

“I didn’t really tell him,” Smith said. “We just got on the phone, and he was like ‘what are you going to do?’ I was like ‘I don’t know.’ A couple hours later, I sent the NLI in.”

Committing to Miami would have seen Jeremiah Smith team up with an offense that had wide receivers Xavier Restrepo and Jacolby George, as well as running back Damien Martinez and Mark Fletcher Jr. Many would argue this would have made the Hurricanes a national championship contender.

Ryan Day discusses Jeremiah Smith’s physical improvement ahead of 2025

After Jeremiah Smith established a high benchmark last season, Ohio State coach Ryan Day expects him to elevate his performance in 2025. During his session at the Big Ten media days, the coach commented on the physical improvement of the wide receiver.

“He’s gotten bigger and stronger and faster than he was last year,” Day said. “He was at workouts the other day, and Mick constantly says during our warmups, he’s the first guy every time we run through and we’re warming up. The first guy every single time. He just set such a standard, and you don’t need to motivate Jeremiah.”

Jeremiah Smith will be playing with a new quarterback in the upcoming season. One of Julian Sayin and Lincoln Kienholz is set to earn the starting role this fall, taking on the challenge of leading the Buckeyes to defend the national championship.