One year after winning the National Championship, the Ohio State football team was a favorite to repeat. Despite losing to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game in December, the Buckeyes were still seen as the team to beat in January.
That dream of a back-to-back was crushed on New Year’s Eve. The second-seeded Buckeyes dropped their quarterfinal to No. 10 Miami, 24-14, in the Cotton Bowl. The Hurricanes advance to the semifinals Thursday night against No. 6 Ole Miss.
The loss began what is going to be a longer offseason than head coach Ryan Day and his program would like. As there is with every college football offseason, changes are coming. Ohio State will look different when the 2026 season kicks off at several positions.
The Buckeyes are losing some key players to the portal and the 2026 NFL Draft. There were rumors surrounding one key player and his future. On Tuesday night, he put those rumors to rest.
Ohio State WR Announces Decision on His Future
On Tuesday, Buckeyes wide receiver Carnell Tate declared for the 2026 NFL Draft. He’s leaving early to play on Sundays. This season, Tate had 51 receptions for 875 yards and nine touchdowns. The Hurricanes held him to just three catches for 37 yards in the Cotton Bowl.
However, Tate wasn’t the top target for quarterback Julian Sayin. The honor belonged to Jeremiah Smith. The sophomore hauled in 87 catches for 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. There were some questions surrounding his future, but he put those to bed on Tuesday on his X (formerly Twitter) account with a social media post.
This is big news for Ohio State. Smith was the top receiver in the country as a freshman and as a sophomore. He will be again next fall as a junior.
Ohio State Gets Huge News on Jeremiah Smith’s Future
To say that Smith’s return is big for Ohio State would be an understatement. Before the Buckeyes’ loss to Miami, Day spoke about Smith’s addition to the Buckeyes program.
“To watch Jeremiah work from the minute he stepped into our building to where he is right now, he’s got a great spirit about him,” Day said. “He does. And he knows what he wants. Hates to lose. Highly competitive. He’s the type of guy that you just love to be around every day. Just he’s a great teammate, obviously he’s a great player.”
Smith hails from Miami Gardens, and there was a thought that he might hit the portal after the loss. If he did, Miami and head coach Mario Cristobal would have made a major push for him. Instead, he’s returning to Columbus.
Ohio State has already lost some receivers to the portal. Gone are Bryson Rodgers, Mylan Graham, and Quincy Porter. Granted, they didn’t make much of an impact in 2026, and Day will likely replace them with incoming freshmen or through the portal.
However Day goes about replacing them remains to be seen. Although receivers are going to be added, Buckeyes fans can sleep better knowing that Smith is back and not going anywhere. One of the game’s biggest receivers is returning for another year.
Ohio State Gets Good News on Future of Dynamic Wide Receiver