Jeremiah Smith passes Cris Carter for most TD catches by a freshman in Ohio State history

Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith is now officially the most prolific freshman receiver in program history.

Smith caught his ninth TD pass of the season against Purdue on Saturday and now leads all Ohio State freshmen in every receiving category.

The 17-yard TD catch was Smith’s sixth of the game as the Buckeyes took a 21-0 lead into halftime over hapless Purdue.

Smith now has 45 catches for 765 yards and nine scores in nine games this season. He entered the Purdue game tied with Pro Football Hall of Fame member Cris Carter for the most receiving TDs for a true freshman in Ohio State history.

Before Smith, Carter was long considered the best freshman wide receiver ever at Ohio State. Over 12 games in 1984, Carter had 41 catches for 648 yards and eight TDs. Those were remarkable numbers for a freshman in an era of college football where teams were much more inclined to run the ball as often as possible.

At the rate he’s going, Smith will easily eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and could have 12 or more touchdowns, especially if Ohio State plays multiple games in the College Football Playoff. NFL scouts are already enamored with Smith’s potential in the pros, but they’re going to have to wait a big. Because of NFL rules, he’s not eligible to be drafted until 2027.