Jeremiah Smith There was plenty of hype surrounding him before he even set foot in Columbus this fall. The former five-star recruit did not disappoint and electrified the college football world by making several spectacular catches during his impressive freshman season for the Buckeyes. Today, Smith firmly cemented his status as one of college football’s rising stars. And on Friday night, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit named the Ohio State University freshman “2024 Newcomer of the Year” at the annual Herbie Awards.

Already this season, Smith has 57 catches for 934 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.

Smith broke the Buckeyes legend Chris Carteris the school record for most receiving yards by a true freshman in the Buckeyes’ 20-13 win Penn State. It was history that Smith wanted to make and to which he recently responded.

“It’s a blessing for sure, but we just have to keep working,” Smith said. “It’s something that was my goal. I actually wrote it down in January when I got here. Just something I’ll continue to work on throughout the year.”

Smith was a five-star high school prospect and the nation’s top overall player for the class of 2024, according to On3’s industry rankings. He is also a player who lost his black stripe after just four spring practices faster than any other freshman in state history Ohio.

The Buckeyes will face the Tennessee Volunteers in the first round of the year in a highly anticipated matchup upcoming college football playoffs. This game will be played at Ohio Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, on the banks of the Olentangy River.

Kaiden Smith from On3 also contributed to this article.