ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Being the No. 1 prospect in his recruiting class paired with the amount of hype Smith has received lately as a generational talent, it seems pretty obvious that he has a chance to make an impact from day one even in a loaded wide receiver room like usual for Hartline and Co.Given Smith's physical gifts and how polished he is already as a wideout, along with the fact that he will have months to prepare his body for the college level and develop under Hartline before the season begins, Smith has an opportunity to be starting at receiver when Ohio State kicks off its season against Akron on Aug. 31.
Smith has been on campus for less than three months and has already been labeled as a "freak," a "dude" and a "specimen" by his teammates and coaches. That's how special he already is.
With Marvin Harrison Jr. (NFL draft) and Julian Fleming (transferred to Penn State) no longer with the program, OSU has two vacant starting spots at wide receiver ahead of the 2024 season. While Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss are strong candidates to earn starting spots alongside Emeka Egbuka to begin the season, there's no doubt Smith will be in the mix as well, even if it doesn't mean a starting nod immediately.
Smith previously played with Tate and Inniss on the South Florida Express 7-on-7 team, so that trio has plenty of experience playing together already.
Whether he starts or not as a true freshman, Smith will be an immediate contributor for Ohio State, one that the Buckeyes will look to utilize as a mismatch on the outside.
LONG-TERM IMPACT
If Smith doesn't become another first-round pick in the long run of draft picks that have developed under Hartline recently, it will be a disappointment.While being the top-ranked prospect in his class sets enormous expectations for the Buckeye freshman, the Florida native has everything that's needed to be a great wide receiver. By the end of what will likely be a three-year career at Ohio State, Smith could very well be the best receiver in college football.
“Watch out for him,” Denzel Burke said after Ohio State’s second practice of the spring last week. “This might be a big statement, but just the way he handles himself and the way he moves and the potential he has, I feel like he might be the next best receiver to come through here. And I'm really excited to see what he can do. The sky's the limit for him.”
Whether it happens in 2024 or later on, Smith will be the best receiver on the field by the time he leaves Ohio State for the NFL draft. If things go as planned, he will etch his name as yet another great Ohio State receiver to go on to the NFL, following in the footsteps of recent Buckeye stars such as Harrison, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Garrett Wilson, Chris Olave and Terry McLaurin.
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