It took Michael Jenkins nearly four years to set Ohio State’s career receiving record. Jeremiah Smith needed barely two. Smith etched his name atop Ohio State’s record book Saturday, hauling in a 23-yard pass from quarterback Julian Sayin midway through the first quarter against Kent State to become the Buckeyes’ all-time leader in career receiving yards.
With the catch, Smith surpassed Michael Jenkins’ mark of 2,898 yards and added another historic milestone to an already remarkable collegiate career. Smith entered Saturday needing 26 receiving yards to break Jenkins’ record, and with 8:03 remaining in the first quarter, the Buckeyes' exceptional wide receiver officially put him alone at the top. Jenkins had held the school record for nearly two decades.
Smith’s record-setting afternoon is the latest achievement in a career that has already included a national championship, unanimous All-American honors and two Big Ten Receiver of the Year awards. He helped lead Ohio State to a national title as a freshman and established himself almost immediately as one of the best wide receivers in the sport. The Buckeyes' star wide receiver entered Saturday averaging 157.5 receiving yards per game through Ohio State’s first two contests.
He is viewed by many as the best player in college football, regardless of position, and his combination of production, size and explosiveness has him firmly in the conversation as a potential top-three pick in next year’s NFL Draft. With so much of his Buckeye career still ahead of him, the question now becomes — how many more records will Smith break before his time in Columbus comes to an end.
