The nexus between a quarterback and a wide receiver is sacred. One needs the other to thrive. Their bond is perpetually reciprocal- the more one side sows, the more the other side reaps. Ohio State (10-1) has been fortunate to have such a tandem at their disposal. QB Will Howard has a plethora of weapons to throw to, but perhaps his favorite one is true freshman WR Jeremiah Smith.

These two haven’t always been on the same page, mind you. Their synergy is still a work in progress, according to their own admission. Yet, the two have produced results through the learning process. Both joined the Buckeyes in 2024. However, it hasn’t taken Howard long to realise just how special his teammate is. We get it, Will, but it didn’t work for us either!

In an interview with ZenGame, Will Howard waxed lyrical about Jeremiah Smith. “He’s a generational talent, man. That kid’s unbelievable”, he said. “ Like he just does things every week that just make you be like, I mean, ‘what the hell dude’?  Like this guy- he’s not real, and the fact that he’s 18 doing what he’s doing, man, is unbelievable. I can’t say enough good things about him. He’s an unbelievable kid, an unbelievable athlete and he goes about it the right way. You would never know he’s a freshman. He’s a veteran in every sense of the word. I mean, he’s freaking Megatron, dude; he’s a freak”.

As a redshirt freshman who has traversed across 2 programs, Howard has had his fair share of receivers. When he joined the Buckeyes via the transfer portal, the program had just lost their best receiver and Biletnikoff-recipient Marvin Harrison Jr. to the NFL. In comes high school kid Jeremiah, who plugs in like a seasoned pro. Jeremiah Smith’s first college season can be summed up by the fact he’s shortlisted for the coveted Biletnikoff award himself. In fact, he could become the first freshman winner since 2007.

Credit does go to a fair extent to his quarterback. Will has been one of the most efficient and accurate signal callers in the nation. The vet that he is has thrust his skill position guys to blossom. Amidst the praise and regard, though, is simmering a slight bit of caginess in the equation. Jeremiah has in the past been vocal about the two not quite reading from the same hymn sheet on occasion. 

Jeremiah Smith’s not quite satisfied with where the relationship stands

With every working relationship, there are periods of tumult. Will Howard-Jeremiah Smith duo is no exception. In the past, there have been downs, series’ and drives where the partnership hasn’t been potent. There have been question marks over their chemistry cropping up at various stages this season. 

About a fortnight ago, these questions came to the forefront. In an interview with Buckeyes’ reporter Kellyanne Stitts, Jeremiah Smith spoke about his understanding with Howard. “Chemistry is pretty good right now, definitely could be better, but, you know, we just got to work on it over the next seven or six games.”

This was off the back of a bit of an offensive downturn where mistakes were creeping in and inadvertently straining the dynamic. With the playoffs beckoning, Ryan Day would hope his two offensive centrepieces can iron out any discrepancies. With the way the QB is singing his receiver’s praises, the duo certainly can’t be too far from each other in practice. That can only mean good things for the Buckeyes and a scary proposition for the rest of the remaining field come CFP time.