OSU’s Jeremiah Smith Gets Early Spotlight That Took Marvin Harrison Jr. A Full NFL Season

Do you know what narrative suits the best for Ryan Day’s Ohio State right at the moment? When your biggest star is your hardest worker, it’s a watermark for the rest of the team to follow. And who is that intended for? None other than the Buckeyes’ wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Day has seen Smith this offseason as he enters his sophomore year with more hype than perhaps any other player in the country. Still not convinced about the hype?

The wide receiver has been named an Iron Buckeye for the second year in a row. Day, then, came with a seal of approval for Smith. In an interview, he said, “For Jeremiah, it’s like, ‘How do I get that one percent better every day?’ A lot of it is learning how to become a good teammate, learning how to encourage other guys around him to play winning football, which he does, but you’re starting to see him come out of his shell a little bit.” After managing everything, Smith still focused on self-growth. His physical transformation is turning heads. Something that took his predecessor, Marvin Harrison Jr., too long.

On June 12, Rivals.com came with an IG post. It’s a collage showing the 2025 version of Smith on the left and his 2024 version on the right. The poster read, “Jeremiah Smith TRANSFORMATION,” and the post came with the caption, “How?” Yes, that’s what most fans might be feeling too, “HOW!?” While Day lifted the Natty, the Buckeyes were led by some of the top players in the nation. Along with quarterback Will Howard, Smith fought shoulder-to-shoulder. He has arguably the most vital piece of the puzzle. Smith’s size and body control have made one of the biggest impressions. Standing tall at 6’3” and weighing 215 lbs, in an earlier interview quarterback Devin Brown said, “He’s super smooth and athletic. He’s a big kid that could snag it literally anywhere.” 

From the two versions, as found in the collage, one can’t ignore the fact that he has been lifting well. Those strong arms do all the talking. The 19-year-old comes with a more chiselled body. Now you know how the “Iron Buckeye” was given to the most deserving candidate. Smith again wooed to be the top performer in offseason workouts. On that note, Emeka Egbuka said, “Jeremiah is already a freak in the weight room.” The wide receiver earlier went viral by working out with former Temple University Owls and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Robbie Chosen. Now that Smith is boosting himself up physically, he shares the same timeline as Harrison Jr.

As Jeremiah Smith starts early, Marvin Harrison Jr. ticks it off after the NFL swap 

Harrison Jr. knewSmith would be a freshman phenom at Ohio State. As the ex-Ohio State player appeared for THE Podcast, he was in all praise for Smith. “I feel like people, and I hate to put pressure on him, so I don’t want to say it – I think he’s LeBron James of football. He’s built differently than everybody else. He’s athletically gifted. The mindset he has as a football player, it’s really special to see. The talent is out the roof, who he is as a person, his character, there is no limit for him. He can do whatever he wants to do. Every record there is at Ohio State, he’s gonna have it. There’s nothing he’s going to leave college not having done.” 

In his last season at Ohio State, Harrison Jr. came up with 2671 yards and 155 receptions. Cut to Smith, the wide receiver came up with 1362 yards and 76 receptions. Yes, we know that Smith is yet to reach Harrison’s level, but when it comes to the transformation game, the former Buckeyes’ bus is running late. While Smith is already making strides bolstering his physique in college, it took Harrison from college to the NFL to make that move for himself.

Arizona Cardinals’ 2024 first-round wideout has always been a physical specimen in Columbus. But it’s clear the 22-year-old added some serious bulk after wrapping up his first season in the NFL, and the difference is tangible enough to catch the eye. As Bleacher Report shared a glimpse of his transformation with the caption, “Marvin Harrison Jr. is JACKED MHJ been living in the weight room this summer .” And one can see how the arms look all tough, it’s all sturdy, heavy on muscle gains. Already bulking up like a pro, Jeremiah Smith knows if he needs a tip or two, his forerunner’s just one dial away. 

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