Five-star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, the No. 1 player in the 2024 class, signed his letter of intent to Ohio State on Wednesday, the first day of the national signing period.
The three major Florida schools made a last-minute push to change Smith’s mind, leading to some nervousness in Columbus.
He committed to the Buckeyes on Dec. 22, 2022. But in the past week, the head coaches of Florida, Florida State and Miami made home visits to try and alter his decision.
Smith, from Chaminade-Madonna Prep in Hollywood, Fla., signed his letter of intent in a ceremony on Wednesday afternoon, in which he put on an Ohio State cap.
The 247Sports composite ranked him No. 1 in the class and reported only two players since the start of the rankings era had higher scores — quarterbacks Quinn Ewers and Terrell Pryor.
Smith’s signing softened the loss of wide receiver Jeremiah McClellan, who flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Oregon on Wednesday. He is listed as the No. 13 wide receiver and the No. 49 player overall in the 2024 class by the 247Sports composite.
McClellan took official visits to both schools in June and committed to Ohio State on Aug. 13. From the St. Louis area, he played his high school football at Christian Brothers College.
He had not signed his national letter of intent as of early Wednesday afternoon.
