“The guy is NFL-ready.” That’s how Oregon’s head coach, Dan Lanning, summed up Jeremiah Smith after they received the payback from Ohio State. The Buckeyes star is always in the headlines with his strong arm and excellent ball tracking. But we tend to forget that he is still a freshman. He has all the markings of a first-round pick in the 2027 NFL draft. What if he were to leave earlier than that?

Some fans can already see that the 19-year-old WR is tailored for success in the NFL, and his exploits at the Rose Bowl also backed these claims. 7 receptions for 187 yards in the game says it all. So it was no wonder the off-field returns, such as an NIL deal, could be huge. Could a hefty deal pull him away from the college football gridiron? OSU’s former QB Cardale Jones certainly believes that.

Jones, 32, joined his former coach, Urban Meyer, when they both sat down at ‘The Triple Option.’ The latter made an alarming observation, pointing out how NIL deals could push football players to leave early. He said, “Really the problem, if they open that door, that’s Pandora’s Box, and there’s a lot of players that will get suckered into leaving early and give up on an education, career, and development.”

Jones, former Buffalo Bills QB, explained he couldn’t see Smith staying at OSU in his third year of college. He declared, “I still think the three-year rule is kind of great for a lot of guys. But if he was my kid, I’m L on right now. I don’t know if he’s playing his third year in college. I don’t think he needs it, you know.”

If Ryan Day comes across this statement, he will surely be displeased. After all, he forms a vital cog in his system as he prepares for the coming Cotton Bowl against Texas. But you can expect Smith to take a similar route to Ja’Marr Chase. Why? Another year in collegiate football will help him hone his skills and solidify his candidacy for the No. 1 draft by the time his sophomore year ends.

What’s more? You can expect him to rest in his senior college year and instead focus on his NFL career, a route that Chase followed. But what about him leaving right now?

Jeremiah Smith: NIL sweep or an NFL career in sight?

When asked whether the fans could see Smith lose out to NIL, Jones gave OSU fans a breather. You must have read the headlines when Red Bull snapped him for a NIL deal. That’s not only it. On3 values him at $1.1 million. Those numbers are sure to rise drastically, as he still has one game to play and makes more valuable contributions, resulting in a rise in his stocks. However, Jones explained Smith might have found it hard to cope if he made the switch earlier.

The OSU legend announced, “I would say no. Just because this is still, you know, you going from playing with, you know, kids for the most part. What 12 months to go in high school and say he’s going to be ready in 16 months to play with grown men who are feeding their family with this stuff.”

Whenever you must have seen Smith on the field, you would have observed that he was the Buckeyes’ QB Will Howard’s first choice to throw the ball to. A look at numbers tells a similar tale. He shattered the freshman records for yards in a season (1,224), receptions (70), and receiving touchdowns in a season (14), and you can expect him to build on these numbers the next season. A CFB national champion this season will add to his allure, too.