Young Ohio State football WRs get endorsement from DB that not even Jeremiah Smith can touch

The Ohio State Buckeyes are entering the 2026 college football season as the No. 1 team in the nation, with many eyes on star wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. But senior defensive back Jermaine Mathews Jr. thinks people should not be sleeping on the new faces on Ohio State football’s wideout room.

“This is probably the best freshman class I’ve seen, Matthews said, via Eleven Warriors. “The freshmen, they nice,” added the senior.

Of course, Smith will be the undisputed top threat downfield for the Julian Sayin-led Ohio State football passing attack, but based on what Matthews said, the likes of Chris Henry Jr., Brock Boyd and Jerquaden Guilford can make an immediate impact in 2026.

Henry, for one, comes with a lot of hype already, as he was the No. 7 overall prospect on ESPN 300 and the No. 1 recruit in the class of 2026.

The depth behind Smith is among the concerns people have about Ohio State, which lost Carnell Tate to the NFL draft and the likes of Mylan Graham, Quincy Porter, and Bryson Rodgers to the transfer portal. But the freshman that Matthews praised gives Buckeyes fans a shot of confidence in the arm, as Ohio State football looks to win its second College Football Playoff title for the second time under head coach Ryan Day.

With Smith embarrassing opposing defensive backs in 2025, Ohio State ranked 23rd nationally with an average of 268.2 passing yards per game and 25th with 33.4 points per contest.

Smith has led the Big Ten in receiving yards in each of his first two seasons in college, racking up 1,315 yards with 15 touchdowns on 76 receptions in 2024 before recording 1,243 yards and 12 touchdowns on 87 catches in 2025.

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