Jeremiah Smith keeps etching his name in the Ohio State record books.
Last year, he became the first Buckeye freshman ever to record 1,000 receiving yards in a season. In the 12th game he played of his sophomore campaign, Smith crossed the 1,000-yard threshold once again, joining Marvin Harrison Jr. as the only two Ohio State players to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons. Emeka Egbuka, a teammate of Smith's in 2024 and of Harrison's from 2021 through 2023, also posted two career 1,000-yard receiving seasons in 2022 and 2024.
A 52-yard catch in the second quarter of the Big Ten Championship Game against No. 2 Indiana put Smith above the benchmark. It's the 13th 1,000-yard receiving season in Ohio State history, eight of which have happened in the last five years.
| Player | Year | Games to Reach 1,000 | Final Yards |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRIS CARTER | 1986 | 12 | 1,127 |
| TERRY GLENN | 1995 | 8 | 1,411 |
| DAVID BOSTON | 1998 | 10 | 1,435 |
| MICHAEL JENKINS | 2002 | 13 | 1,076 |
| PARRIS CAMPBELL | 2018 | 14 | 1,063 |
| JAXON SMITH-NJIGBA | 2021 | 10 | 1,606 |
| GARRETT WILSON | 2021 | 12 | 1,058 |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | 2022 | 11 | 1,263 |
| EMEKA EGBUKA | 2022 | 12 | 1,151 |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | 2023 | 10 | 1,211 |
| JEREMIAH SMITH | 2024 | 13 | 1,315 |
| EMEKA EGBUKA | 2024 | 16 | 1,011 |
| JEREMIAH SMITH | 2025 | 12 | TBD |
In total, nine of Ohio State's 13 1,000-yard receiving campaigns were by players coached by Brian Hartline. The newly minted head coach of South Florida will leave behind an untouchable legacy at the position when he departs after the College Football Playoff.
Entering Saturday's game, Smith had 72 receptions for 942 yards and 11 touchdowns this year. He was already up to 148 receptions, 2,257 yards and 26 touchdowns for his less-than-two-year career. Excluding his current stats against the Hoosiers, that puts Smith 58 catches from the Buckeyes' career receptions record, 642 yards from its receiving yardage record and 10 touchdowns from its receiving touchdowns record.
With a playoff run and another full season remaining before he becomes draft eligible, those are marks that Smith should easily clear to go down as the best receiver in school history. His trophy case is already overflowing, being named first-team All-Big Ten by the conference's coaches and media and Big Ten Receiver of the Year for the second year in a row on Thursday.
Smith is a finalist for the Biletnikoff Award, given to the best receiver in college football.
