DAVIE — Jeremiah Smith’s plan when he got to Ohio State was work hard and see what happens.
“The thought process with us was pretty much get in, get your feet wet, whatever playing time you get, do what you got to do,” Smith’s father, Chris Smith, told the Sun Sentinel. “I guess he had his own mindset, so he went there and did what he needed to do to get him a spot.”
Smith did not just earn a spot on a talented Buckeyes roster. He established himself as a starter, a star and arguably the best player in college football entering his sophomore year.
“It’s been surreal,” Chris Smith said. “You know, the expectation was high, but I knew he could be able to go do what he needed to do. So it’s a surreal moment, but also it’s a grinding moment, too.”
Smith’s success feels almost preordained. He was always among the most talented players in his age group, his seven-on-seven coach, South Florida Express founder Brett Goetz, said.
“Everybody kept talking about this JJ Smith kid,” Goetz said. “I think we were in Houston. … But I finally got to see him, and he was as advertised. He was great. And watching him kind of go up our ladder of seven-on-seven teams, age-wise, and he’s every bit what everybody says.”
Smith starred everywhere he played in South Florida. At Chaminade-Madonna, he racked up 3,043 receiving yards and 45 touchdown catches from his sophomore season through his senior year. He was the Sun Sentinel Broward County small schools offensive player of the year as a senior.
When it came time to pick a college, Smith — who was listed as the top high school player in the nation — stuck with his long-time Ohio State commitment over a push from hometown Miami.
The decision paid off. Smith racked up 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns as a freshman, helping lead the Buckeyes to a College Football Playoff title.
“He’s just hungry to do it over again,” Chris Smith said.
But all the success has not changed him, Chris Smith and Goetz said.
“He’s still JJ,” Chris Smith said.
Said Goetz: “(He) shakes everybody’s hand, signs everything, takes pictures with every kid. And I saw him a couple weeks ago at Ohio State practice, and all these people came up to him, these kids, and they wanted to have a catch with him. So watching that, and he never said no to anybody. So, I think, he’s handled it really well.”
The elder Smith said his son does not want to come home often, which he takes as a good sign.
“That means you feel at home,” Chris Smith said.
Smith has taken on the role of superstar (being named one of EA Sports’ College Football 26 cover athletes, among other honors), but has not changed who he is.
On the field, the sky remains the limit.
“I’ve seen Amari Cooper, I’ve seen a lot of these great ones come through South Florida,” Goetz said. “And he has a chance to be the best out of all of them. Time will tell. But at this point, he’s unreal.”