Ohio State WR Smith resisted NIL offer elsewhere: 'I wasn't goin' nowhere'

Ohio State star Jeremiah Smith revealed that another program tried to lure him into the transfer portal after the Buckeyes' season came to an end against Miami in the Cotton Bowl.

"I wasn't surprised," the wide receiver told reporters Saturday, including the Delaware Gazette's Dillon Davis. "I knew, especially at the end of that game, that a certain program was going to come at me very hard.

"Not gonna say no names. I think everybody here knows who it was. But I wasn't goin' nowhere."

Smith didn't divulge which school attempted to poach him. However, he nearly committed to Miami before officially signing with Ohio State in December 2023. Smith even said previously that he spoke with then-Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward before finalizing his decision.

The 20-year-old is a Miami native who attended high school at Chaminade-Madonna in Hollywood, Florida, where he was a five-star recruit.

Smith has recorded 163 receptions, 2,558 receiving yards, and 27 touchdowns in two seasons with Ohio State. He quickly ascended the national receiving ranks as a freshman; his 1,315 receiving yards in 2024 were the fourth most in college football.

The two-time Big Ten Receiver of the Year is expected to enter the 2027 draft and will likely be a top-10 pick.

Ohio State will kick off its 2026 campaign against Ball State on Sept. 5.