Ohio State Star WR Jeremiah Smith Reportedly Turned Down $10 Million Transfer Offer

The junior wideout chose to remain loyal to the Buckeyes despite a lucrative offer from another program.

Apr. 9, 2026 at 5:05pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting a college football player in motion, with their body and uniform broken down into sharp, overlapping geometric shapes in a palette of scarlet, gold, and navy blue, conveying the dynamic and multifaceted nature of the NIL landscape in college sports.The complex web of NIL deals and transfer offers highlights the evolving power dynamics in college football.Columbus Today

Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, one of the top pass-catchers in college football, reportedly told On3 that he could have received over $10 million to transfer to another program. However, the junior star decided to stay loyal to the Buckeyes and Ryan Day's program for his final season before entering the 2024 NFL Draft.

Why it matters

Smith's potential $10 million transfer offer would be an unprecedented amount for a single college player, highlighting the rapidly evolving landscape of name, image and likeness (NIL) deals in college sports. While Smith's decision to stay at Ohio State is a win for the program, the reported offer raises questions about the growing influence of NIL in recruiting and player movement.

The details

According to reports, Smith's current NIL valuation is around $4.2 million, nearly $2 million higher than his teammate and Heisman Trophy finalist Julian Sayin. Texas quarterback Arch Manning is the only college football player with a richer NIL valuation than Smith at $5.4 million. Experts believe the $10 million figure may have been an initial offer or just a gauge of Smith's potential market value, rather than a firm proposal.

  • Smith has posted 2,558 receiving yards and 27 touchdown catches over the past two seasons at Ohio State.
  • He will be eligible for the 2024 NFL Draft after the upcoming 2023 college football season.

The players

Jeremiah Smith

A junior wide receiver at Ohio State University who is considered one of the top pass-catchers in college football and a potential high draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Ryan Day

The head football coach at Ohio State University, who was able to retain Smith despite the reported $10 million transfer offer from another program.

Julian Sayin

The quarterback at Ohio State University and a Heisman Trophy finalist, whose NIL valuation is nearly $2 million less than his teammate Jeremiah Smith.

Arch Manning

The quarterback at the University of Texas, who has the highest NIL valuation of any college football player at $5.4 million.

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What they’re saying

“Here's the thing that I have a really hard time with when it comes to comments like this — because I believe Jeremiah Smith is worth paying whatever you can afford to pay him. In NIL, there are so many moving parts. There are agents, there are people that might be contacting the agent to see if they can gauge interest (saying), 'What if we paid you $10 million? Would you do it?' Now, I think that there's a lot of place within that merry-go-round of contact and gauging interest and seeing what could be possible that numbers could be flown around without actually being legitimate offers.”

— Ari Wasserman, Analyst

What’s next

Smith will look to build on his impressive college career in his final season at Ohio State before entering the 2024 NFL Draft, where he is expected to be one of the top wide receiver prospects.

The takeaway

Jeremiah Smith's reported $10 million transfer offer highlights the growing influence of NIL deals in college sports and the premium placed on elite talent. While Smith chose to remain loyal to Ohio State, the astronomical figure raises questions about the sustainability and fairness of the current NIL landscape, as well as the potential impact on recruiting and player movement.