Jeremiah Smith: $10M+ transfer portal payday spurned
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- Jeremiah Smith told On3 he could have earned "over 10 million dollars, easy" in the transfer portal but chose to return to Ohio State for his third and likely final season, saying "that's not how I operate."
- 247Sports' No. 1 player in the 2024 signing class, Smith has led the Big Ten in receiving yards in both of his college seasons — 1,315 yards and 15 TDs as a freshman (capped by a national title), then 1,243 yards and 87 receptions last year.
- CBS Sports' Chris Hummer argued Smith's $10M+ valuation is plausible because, beyond NIL, he commands real marketing dollars through deals with Adidas, Red Bull, and 7-Eleven, plus an EA Sports College Football video game cover.
- CBS Sports' December transfer-portal market guide pegged a "high-end" wide receiver at $1 million to $2 million, making Smith's projected price roughly five to ten times the typical top receiver.
- Miami strongly recruited Smith out of Opa Locka, Florida, and was nearly a signing-day flip; under Mario Cristobal the Hurricanes have spent top dollar on quarterbacks in three straight offseasons, fueling speculation they would have paid a premium for Smith.
- Julian Sayin, a 2025 Heisman Trophy finalist and second-year starter, will be throwing to Smith in 2026, when Smith enters as a Heisman favorite and a possible No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft.
Why it matters: Smith, a Heisman favorite and potential No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft, turned down a reported $10M+ portal payday to stay at Ohio State. His retention deprives Miami — a willing big-spending bidder — of a marquee addition and keeps the Buckeyes in championship contention with Julian Sayin at QB, while underscoring how top programs can still out-pull the open market.
