Jeremiah Smith arrived at Ohio State carrying more hype than almost any wide receiver prospect in recent memory. Two seasons in, his coaches and teammates have answered by making him one of seven captains for 2026.
Ohio State announced the full captain list Saturday. Smith joins Brandon Inniss, Kenyatta Jackson Jr. Jaylen McClain, Payton Pierce, Julian Sayin and Austin Siereveld. The Buckeyes said this marks the seventh time in program history they have named seven captains for a single season and the first time since 2020.
The program released a video of wide receivers coach Cortez Hankton calling Smith's father to share the news. "This young dude over here had tears of joy afterwards," Hankton said. "Just when he was named and when he found out how much he means to his teammates. He walks around every day with a sense of humility and grace and does his job at a high level. But to be named the captain, it means a lot to him."
Inniss and Siereveld are two-time captains, having held the role last season. The remaining five, including Smith and Sayin, were named captains for the first time.
Smith has caught 163 passes for 2,558 yards and 27 touchdowns entering his junior year. Those figures place him seventh in Ohio State history in receptions, eighth in receiving yards and fifth in receiving touchdowns through two seasons.
He is 39 catches short of K.J. Hill's school record of 201 receptions. He needs 340 receiving yards to pass Michael Jenkins' career mark of 2,898. His 27 touchdown catches leave him eight behind Marvin Harrison Jr.'s program record of 34.
Smith earned national recognition before the 2026 season began. On3 selected him to its preseason first-team All-America squad in August.
The captain designation pairs Smith with quarterback Julian Sayin at the top of Ohio State's offensive leadership. Running back Bo Jackson completes the core of the returning offensive group. Ohio State opens its 2026 season against Ball State in approximately two weeks.
