Miami Hurricanes Recruiting: 5-star WR Jeremiah Smith denies Miami’s flip attempt, signs with Ohio State

December 20, 2023 Admin

Just because this was expected doesn’t make it any better.

By

Cameron J. Underwood
on December 20, 2023 12:29 pm

In the world of recruiting, you win some, and you lose some. Miami lost a big one today when Hollywood (FL) Chaminade-Madonna 5-star WR Jeremiah Smith — the #1 player in America — spurned the hometown Canes and signed with Ohio State on the first day of the Early Signing Period.

Even if getting Smith to stay home in Miami was always going to be a tough task, this is still one of the biggest misses in this class for the Canes.

At 6’4” 200lbs, Smith is everybody’s All-American. He has prototypical size, incredible skill, and elite performances in every game he’s played for the past 3 years, and likely longer than that. He’s a finalist for the MaxPreps National Player of the Year. And the list goes on and one. To let a player of this caliber, and his rare combination of size and ability get away is yet-another bad, bad miss at the receiver position for Miami.

I’m sure you know the list of elite receivers from South Florida who have gone places other than Miami in the past period of time. Guys like Amari Cooper. Jerry Jeudy. Calvin Ridley. Brandon Inniss. Ja’Corey Brooks. Xavier Williams. And now, unfortunately, Smith joins that group, and will ply his trade for a team other than Miami.

No, there is no such thing as a “must get” recruit. And yes, Miami has a pair of All-American WRs already signed in the 2024 recruiting class in Ny Carr and Smith’s HS teammate Jojo Trader, but missing on Smith is another in a long line of misses on the top local players for Miami.

After Smith’s early commitment to OSU more than a year ago, everybody, Miami included, was facing an uphill battle in this recruitment. Miami and Florida State (and others, but those were the top teams) tried their best to get Smith to flip. Both schools got the talented receiver on campus no fewer than 5 times each. But, it still wasn’t enough. Damn.

So the work was there. The effort was made. The pitches were given. But, in the end, Brian Hartline’s track record of success in developing receivers at Ohio State was too much for Miami, or anyone, to overcome for the #1 player in America.

I hate it, but that’s life.

More on Miami recruiting through the Early Signing Period and towards National Signing Day in February.