Jeremiah Smith continues to double down on the fact he was always going to be a Buckeye this year, even if it meant missing out on a $10 million payday.
At Big Ten Media Day on July 29, Smith was asked if there is any truth to him turning down a $10 million NIL deal to transfer from Ohio State this offseason. "Yeah, that's true," Smith said, confirming the report.
The potential deal, worth over $10 million, was mentioned by Smith in an interview with On3 in April. At the time, he said he could have made the money "easy" if he decided to leave Ohio State for another school. "That's not how I operate," Smith added, indicating his commitment to the Buckeyes.
Last year, three antitrust lawsuits involving the NCAA resulted in schools being allowed to pay players directly through NIL. However, NCAA rules state that schools can contact players from other programs only while they're in the transfer portal, which Smith never entered.
Miami was runner-up to Ohio State in recruiting Smith out of South Florida. After the Buckeyes lost to Miami in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals, he was aware that others hoped he would enter the transfer portal, one team in particular.
"I wasn't surprised," Smith said. "I knew, especially at the end of that game, that a certain program was going to come at me very hard. But I'm not going to say names. I think everyone knows who it was."
Smith finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy voting last year, after recording 1,243 yards on 87 catches. His decision to stay with Ohio State has been seen as a significant boost for the program, which is looking to build on last year's success.
The Buckeyes will look to capitalize on Smith's decision when they take on their next opponent. With the wide receiver on board, Ohio State's offense is expected to be a formidable force in the Big Ten.
Source: Yahoo Sports