Jeremiah Smith Shares Life-Changing NIL Offer He Turned Down To Stay With Buckeyes

For Florida native Jeremiah Smith, it was never a matter of going home. It was a matter of doing what was best for him with the resources available as one of the nation's best receivers.

In an exclusive interview with On3's Chris Low, Smith, who helped lead the Buckeyes to a national title in his freshman year before failing to secure a repeat bid this past season, shared staggering details about unnamed teams (with the Miami Hurricanes being the reported frontrunner) that tried to convince Smith from returning to Columbus.

It never happened. Smith returns to the Buckeyes for his junior season, the second of which where his quarterback remains Julian Sayin and former NFL coach Arthur Smith will get a chance to polish Smith's game as the offensive coordinator should he opt to declare for the 2027 NFL Draft next spring.

Smith shared he could have made "over $10 million dollars, easy," had he left Ohio State, but described that logistically, staying put was a better fit without money being the No. 1 option.

“Just because they beat us and things went their way, I wasn’t going back home,” Smith said. “I mean, you hear the numbers and everything. But to be honest, it didn’t make sense for me to go back. I have a good quarterback here. I have a good group of teammates here. A lot of people came back, so it would look stupid for me to go there, and we have a team here that’s already built.”

Coach Ryan Day commended Smith's thought process throughout the uncertain ordeal, which didn't even result in him entering the transfer portal despite the immense attention he received ahead of the eventual College Football Playoff loss to the Hurricanes.

“Jeremiah’s family values relationships, and they knew it wasn’t just about him on the field," Day said. "There’s a lot that comes with being an elite athlete, and I really feel strongly that we major in developing the elite athlete at Ohio State, not just on the field.”

Day, too, said that Smith being overlooked by some is what makes him great.

"I tell our younger players, ‘You want to know what being elite looks like? Look at Jeremiah. He’s the best player in the country. Look at how he practices every day. Look at his mindset. Look at his seriousness. Look at the decisions he makes off the field," Day said. “That’s the kind of culture we want.”

With the possibility of him leaving Ohio State for another opportunity in the past, the focus now shifts to the season and all the pressure going along with it.

By next January, we'll have the final answer as to whether Smith ultimately made the correct decision.