Seattle WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba says Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith is 'like the LeBron James' of all-time Buckeyes

Ohio State has a rich tradition of great receivers, but one of their best in the NFL today thinks Smith is on another level

Sep 30, 2026 at 2:09 pm ET • 2 min read

There are few college football programs that boast a better lineage of wide receiver talent than Ohio State, but current star receiver Jeremiah Smith has a case to be above them all. 

Smith has already set a new school record for all-time receiving yards in 33 games and is rapidly approaching the all-time Big Ten record. Smith doesn't just have the statistical profile worthy of that title, he clears the eye test for anyone that watches him, as the way he moves, his strength and speed and the quality of his route running jumps off the tape. 

While it's easy to wonder if the Smith hype is recency bias, all you have to do is ask one of the best Buckeyes in the NFL today about Smith to know it's not just bluster from fans and the media. 

Former Ohio State standout Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the reigning NFL Offensive Player of the Year, joined Kyle Long and Russell Wilson on Set, Hut! this week and said even when factoring in all the great receiving talent that's passed through Columbus, Smith is something the Buckeyes have never seen before -- and compared him to LeBron James. 

"We've seen great talents coming through Ohio State — you know the Chris Olaves, the Cris Carters, the Garrett Wilsons — but we really haven't seen a guy like Jeremiah Smith come out of Ohio State," Smith-Njigba said. "The expectation — we're all looking forward to [him coming to the NFL]. He's like the LeBron James so to speak and the pressure's on him, but he seems to respond to it week after week and handle it with class and maturity. I think any team that wants to go forward and build and create something special I definitely think he's your guy to get. He's been putting on for us. He likes to say we're Wide Receiver U and I think he's definitely gonna stamp that." 

To hammer home Smith-Njigba's point, Smith came into 2026 with tons of hype and buzz about being a Heisman Trophy favorite and has somehow managed to exceed expectations through the first four games of the season. Smith is averaging 154.3 yards per game and leads the nation with seven touchdown catches -- including four last week against Illinois -- even though opposing defenses know he's the No. 1 option and Julian Sayin's favorite target. 

That is the sign of an elite receiver, the ability to produce even when defenses are tilted towards you, and JSN is right that NFL teams are salivating over the chance to add Smith next spring. In the meantime, the Buckeyes are thrilled to have a third year with Smith out wide and will hope they can lean on his greatness to pick up another national title. 

No. 5 Ohio State faces No. 14 Iowa at 3:30 p.m. ET Saturday on CBS, CBSSports.com, CBS Sports App and streaming on Paramount+ Premium.