Before he committed to Ohio State football, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith's dream was to be a member of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Speaking to reporters at Big Ten Football media days on July 29, Smith revealed where he originally desired to land.
"Growing up, my dream was Alabama," Smith said. "When Nick Saban was there, they weren't recruiting me, though, so it is what it is. But I always wanted to go to 'Bama growing up."
Smith cited the NFL careers of other Florida wide receivers who played under Saban as a reason for wanting to join the Crimson Tide.
"A lot of guys from South Florida were going to Alabama at that time and having success like Amari Cooper, Jerry Jeudy, Calvin Ridley, guys like that," Smith said. "I think I committed to Ohio State
too early; that's why they stopped. They thought it was no chance."
Smith, who played high school football at Chaminade-Madonna in South Florida, was the No. 1 college prospect in the 2024 class, per 247Sports. He committed to Ohio State on Dec. 14, 2022, 20 months before playing his first college game with the Buckeyes.
At the same press conference, Smith confirmed that he turned down a $10 million NIL deal to transfer from Ohio State this offseason. Smith said it would be "dumb" for him to leave the Buckeyes, citing the team's offensive line, quarterback and coaches.
"That's not how I operate," he added.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jeremiah Smith reveals the school he wanted before choosing Ohio State
