Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly sends strong message on Ohio State freshman’s attitude amidst breakout

Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly compared the Buckeyes’ freshman RB, Jeremiah Smith, to a 10-year NFL veteran; even more of a compliment from Kelly considering his four years as an NFL head coach.

“Yeah, I think there’s a maturity to Jeremiah that most freshmen, or most people, don’t have, especially at that age,” said Buckeyes offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who served as the head coach of the Philadelphia Eagles and San Francisco 49ers last decade (h/t On3). “He is as serious a football player as I’ve been around, and his goal every single day is just to improve, and it’s just for him to get better at one facet of the game. It’s almost like you’re dealing with a 10-year NFL veteran in terms of how he approaches meetings, how he approaches practice. And it’s really — it’s rare.

“Obviously, when you meet Jeremiah, his physical skills are not even comparable for someone at that age, but I think it’s his maturity level that that really has set him apart. Because there’s a lot of guys that could get caught up in that, in the hype and everything talking about him, and all the people they’re comparing him to and all that, but you don’t see that out of him.”

Jeremiah Smith’s Ohio State Buckeyes must avoid the fate of Ryan Williams’ Alabama Crimson TideSmith and Alabama wideout Ryan Williams are the two consensus best freshmen. Williams reclassified to the 2024 class and is just 17 years old.

Smith’s Buckeyes are looking to avoid being a two-loss team like Williams’ Crimson Tide already are and keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive on the road against No. 3 Penn State on Saturday.

Some analysts are suggesting that stars like Arch Manning will stay in college as long as possible, but others believe players like Williams are reclassifying to get to the NFL quicker. Where Smith falls is unclear, but as long as he’s a Buckeye, he’s going to bring pro-caliber poise to the locker room.