Ohio State’s star receiver duo of Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate has been on a tear this year, and their teammates feel they could surpass another legendary tandem.
During his Downs 2 Business podcast, Buckeyes safety Caleb Downs told his brother, Josh, that he feels Smith and Tate could go down as the best wide receiver duo in college football history over Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, who starred together at LSU.
“You can lowkey give the nod to Jeremiah and Carnell. If they keep playing at the level they are…,” Downs said.
Smith leads Ohio State with 55 catches for 725 yards and nine touchdowns, while Tate isn’t very far behind with 39 catches for 711 yards and seven touchdowns. They’ve helped lead the defending national champion Buckeyes to an 8-0 record and the No. 1 spot in the AP Top 25.
Still, Smith and Tate have a lot of work to do if they want to replicate the production of Chase and Jefferson. During LSU’s national championship season in 2019, Chase recorded 84 receptions for 1,780 yards and 20 touchdowns, while Jefferson racked up 111 catches for 1,540 yards and 18 scores. Chase now stars for the Cincinnati Bengals, and Jefferson stars for the Minnesota Vikings. Both of them are four-time Pro Bowlers, with Jefferson being named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2022 and Chase winning the receiving triple crown in 2024.
Downs admitted that Smith and Tate have not yet reached that level, but he feels they could push for the top spot when it’s all said and done.
“Not yet. I’m saying though, at the end of the season, if they stay on the track they are, it’s a real conversation,” Downs said.
Smith is still a sophomore, so he will have at least one more year in college before jumping to the NFL. Tate, a junior, has established himself as one of the top prospects in the 2026 class and is the No. 2 receiver in B/R’s Brent Sobleski’s latest draft big board.
