OSU's Jeremiah Smith Reveals How Miami's Past Struggles Impacted His Recruitment

When No. 10 Miami meets No. 2 Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinal on Wednesday night, the Hurricanes will undoubtedly be wondering about what could've been.

Buckeyes star receiver Jeremiah Smith revealed to reporters on Monday that if Miami wasn't struggling at the time of his high school recruitment, he would've signed with the Hurricanes.

"Most likely, yeah," Smith said. "I'd probably end up going to Miami if things were on the right track then and there. But, I chose to stick with Ohio State."

Smith is a Miami Gardens native and was 247Sports' highest-ranked wide receiver recruit in the modern recruiting era. He committed to Ohio State in December 2022 after watching Miami finish with a 5-7 record that season.

Thankfully for the Hurricanes, they've turned things around under head coach Mario Cristobal and have once again become an attractive destination. The team is playing in the College Football Playoff for the first time, defeating Texas A&M in the first round to improve to 11-2.

Still, Smith is one of the premier talents in all of college football, so it will be hard not to imagine how he would've looked in a Miami uniform when he takes the field for Ohio State on New Year's Eve.