Jeremiah Smith reveals Alabama was his dream school, but Tide made no effort to flip him
By David Wasson
Published:
Jeremiah Smith has made quite the reputation for himself as a standout wide receiver at Ohio State.
But the Buckeyes weren’t the school he dreamed about as a young player – instead, it was Alabama.
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Hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow South Florida products and stellar college receivers Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy and Calvin Ridley all the way to Tuscaloosa, Smith spoke Wednesday during Day 2 of the Big Ten Media Days in Chicago about how his early commitment to Columbus probably kept the dream becoming a reality.
“Growing up my dream school was Alabama when Nick Saban was there,” Smith told reporters, per On3. “They wasn’t recruiting me, though. It is what it is. But I always wanted to go to ‘Bama growing up.
“That was crazy. I mean, I always dreamed about going to Alabama because a lot of guys at that time from South Florida was going to ‘Bama and having success like Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Calvin Ridley. I think I committed to Ohio State too early and that’s why they stopped. They thought there was no chance.”
The Miami Gardens, Fla., product has delivered stellar production in scarlet and gray instead of crimson and white, hauling in 163 career receptions for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns over 29 games for Ohio State. Those stats have garnered Smith back-to-back First Team All-American and back-to-back Big Ten Receiver of the Year honors along with being named the conference’s Preseason Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Saban retired in January 2024, months before Smith and the high school Class of 2024 began their college football careers. For 2024, Alabama settled for the No. 3-ranked receiver in the class – Ryan Coleman-Williams (97 receptions for 1,554 yards and 12 touchdowns).
An APSE national award-winning writer and editor, David Wasson has almost four decades of experience in the print journalism business in Florida and Alabama. His work has also appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times and several national magazines and websites. His Twitter handle: @JustDWasson.
