Buckeyes Now

Ohio State Buckeyes Facing NIL Competition for Jeremiah Smith, Carnell Tate

The Ohio State Buckeyes are reportedly facing NIL competition for both Jeremiah Smith and Carnell State.
Evan Massey|
Ohio State Buckeyes star Jeremiah Smith is receiving some big NIL offers to enter the transfer portal.
Ohio State Buckeyes star Jeremiah Smith is receiving some big NIL offers to enter the transfer portal. | Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In this story:

Ohio State Buckeyes

The Ohio State Buckeyes have simply been unable to get any rest since winning the National Championship. Due to the world of the transfer portal, they're already facing pressure to keep their top-tier talent.

Two players who are receiving aggressive offers are star freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith and fellow wide receiver Carnell Tate.

According to a report from Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, Smith has received a $4.5 million offer to enter the transfer portal and Tate has received a $1 million-plus offer to do the same.

Needless to say, this has become the frustrating part of the NIL market. At this point in time, there are no rules prohibiting teams from "tampering" with players.

Seeing a player like Smith being offered money before even entering the portal is even more frustrating. He is committed to Ohio State, but other teams are trying to convince him to leave.

Unfortunately, that is the name of the game at this point in time.

With the NIL competition that they are facing to keep both Smith and Tate, the Buckeyes have to get to work. Ohio State has to find a way to keep both of their top wide receivers for 2025.

It would be a bit of a shock to see either player leave after winning a championship. The Buckeyes are once again expected to be a top-notch contender for a title in 2025.

Hopefully, no one is able to convince Smith or Tate to leave Columbus. Ohio State will have to come out with quite a bit of money to keep them from considering the option.

Only time will tell, but this is something to monitor closely. Teams are being aggressive trying to steal talent away from the Buckeyes. All that Ohio State can do is try to offer good incentives to Smith and Tate to avoid potentially losing them in the portal.

Expect to hear news about this situation in the near future. For now, all that is known is that both wide receivers have received some very lucrative offers to leave the Buckeyes.

Published
Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.

Home/News