Jeremiah Smith Earns FWAA Freshman All-America Honors
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Jeremiah Smith has been named a Freshman All-American by the Football Writers Association of America, the organization announced this afternoon.
The accolade adds to Smith’s already-impressive list of postseason awards. He was the Big Ten’s Wide Receiver of the Year and Freshman of the Year and also a first team All-American by USA Today.
Smith’s 1,227 receiving yards this season rank seventh nationally and are the most amongst true freshmen. He has 71 receptions – also the most among freshmen nationally – and was the Offensive Most Valuable Player in the Rose Bowl after catching seven passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns in a 41-21 win over No. 1 Oregon. Entering next Monday’s CFP National Championship Game, Smith has 14 receptions for 293 yards and four touchdowns in three playoff games.
Smith is Ohio State’s 12th Freshman All-American honored by the Football Writers Association of America since 2001.
After all, he had piled up 290 yards receiving in two postseason wins and was looking like the star to stop for the rest of the College Football Playoff field. Instead, he was double-teamed by the Longhorns and limited to a single catch for three yards as Ohio State advanced to Monday’s national championship game against Notre Dame with a 28-14 victory.
The 6-foot-3 freshman is a big reason the Buckeyes are here. It may have been hard for many younger players to stay engaged in a game where his impact was limited. But Smith, 19, knew Texas’ focus on his play would help the rest of the offense.
“It’s frustrating but it’s part of being a teammate,” Smith said. “You got to open things up.”
Smith, the No. 1-ranked player in the 2024 recruiting class, amassed 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns in his first season breaking Cris Carter’s freshman school records for receiving yards, receptions and touchdowns as he was voted a second-team AP All-American.
The blanket coverage of Smith by Texas is a big reason why wide receiver Carnell Tate finished with a career-high seven catches for a team-high 87 yards, and Emeka Egbuka hauled in f
ive for 51 yards.
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