“Make or break”. That’s the roster Ryan Day has this time around and he has to make it count. Winning back-to-back 5 games with none of the opponents even coming close to making the Buckeyes defense and offense sweat, it looks like Ryan Day has finally found the sweet spot. And someone who is making Day’s dreams come true is the 18 y/o star Jeremiah Smith. With 19 catches, 5 touchdowns, and 360+ yards under his belt, Jeremiah Smith doesn’t even feel like a freshman. With every passing week, this guy gets even better at what he does.

So, it ain’t no wonder why all the brands want him. On the latest episode of On3 Recruits, Pete Nakos breaks down the recent NIL boost that Smith is enjoying and the entire impact of it on the freshman. “Yeah, so Jeremiah Smith was at roughly $650,000 in July, right before the start of the season. And now he’s at $1.4 million—a significant increase,” Nakos mentioned. After the Michigan State game, Smith’s valuation hiked by $200,000 and it has been climbing ever since.

This entire thing has also allowed Smith to double his entire social media following as compared to what he had back in July. Within a span of 2 weeks, Smith has managed to sign deals with Red Bull, DSW, and American Eagle. Nakos points out that all of this will allow Smith to enjoy even more opportunities in the future.

Smith deserves it all. This guy, despite being only 18, stands neck to neck alongside some of the best WRs in the country. On3 has even put Smith in the No.1 spot on their list of Top 10 WRs after Week 5. It ain’t no wonder why this guy is the No.1 recruit in the entire 2024 class.

Buckeyes QB Will Howard has shown immense confidence in Smith’s ability to make plays. “Put it up and he’ll make the play,” Howard had noted. What Smith needs is just a single window to catch the pass, and he is off to the run making a huge touchdown or bringing in yards for his team. However, he ain’t the only freshman who is soaring high after their Week 5 performance.

Bringing the Dawgs to their knees

Kalen DeBoer has done it. He has dethroned the Bulldogs from the top spot and now the Tide sits on the No.1 spot on the AP polls. It’s kind of funny to think that Kirby Smart is still struggling to find a dub against a Tide that doesn’t even have Nick Saban in it anymore.

But, who made the win possible for Crimson Tide? We all know that the Bulldogs had picked up pace and taken the lead during the 3rd and 4th quarters. Enter 17-year-old prodigy Ryan Williams. 2:18 minutes left on the clock and QB Jalen Milroe had to do something to make sure his team won. So, naturally, he sent the football flying towards Williams, and this guy converted it into a 75-yard touchdown. We almost thought it was Michael Jackson on the field when we saw Williams dodge the Dawgs’ defense with such ease.

After that game, Williams’ social media following count increased by 160,000. Not only that, his NIL valuation now stands at a massive $1.5 million. This was around $765,000 a week before the Georgia rivalry game. “His performance, particularly against Georgia, combined with social media buzz, has driven his valuation up,” Nakos mentioned. These guys will be the new faces of college football.