There’s an alternate world, not hard to imagine, where superstar wide receiver Jeremiah Smith is a major focal point of this game — because he’s suiting up alongside fellow South Florida product Malachi Toney for the Hurricanes, forming one of the most talented wide receiver tandems college football has seen in recent memory.
That timeline nearly became a reality, as Miami made a furious push leading up to early signing day in December of 2023 to pry Smith away from his commitment to Ohio State. The broader college football-watching public’s first introduction to Smith came when Ryan Day nearly collapsed with exhausted relief during a news conference after being told Smith was signing with the Buckeyes.
Nearly 13 months later, Smith had validated the hype, establishing himself as the best freshman skill player in college football and capping his first collegiate season by catching the game-sealing third-down conversion in the national championship against Notre Dame.
Despite already solidifying himself as an Ohio State legend and continuing his stellar production in his sophomore season, Smith has made no secret of how close he was to signing with Miami — even admitting to reporters this week that if the Hurricanes had reached stages like this one when they were recruiting him, he may very well have ended up with his hometown team.
