Jeremiah Smith just helped Ohio State roll past Kent State 59-3 on Saturday. He finished with five catches for 85 yards and broke the school’s career receiving-yards record on a 23-yard grab in the first quarter. After that kind of game in Columbus, Smith credited another South Florida receiver for his performance.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
“Malachi is going off week in, week out. For the competition, I see him go off, so I’m trying to have a good game as well,” Smith said during postgame media availability after Ohio State’s win. “I mean, we’re both from Dade County, so always trying to have a little competition here and there.”
The Malachi Toney name came up because Smith watches his Friday-night games. Through three games, Toney had 28 receptions for 444 yards and five touchdowns. At that point, he was leading the nation in receptions and receiving yards.
Smith has been having a brilliant run as well. He had 21 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns. Those numbers explain why the two keep coming up in the same receiver debate.
Both grew up in South Florida and came through the same youth and 7-on-7 circles. Smith is from Miami Gardens and played at Chaminade-Madonna. Toney is from the Liberty City and Fort Lauderdale area and played at American Heritage. They faced each other in high school in 2022 and 2023.
In May 2026, Smith went back home to help run a youth camp with Toney and Ohio State teammate Brandon Inniss. Toney called showing up “a no-brainer.” They are not close friends in public, but the connection is genuine.
That history turned into a bigger story in 2026. After their Week 1 games, the “band-for-band” talk started, and both even struck Heisman poses after touchdowns. Smith took the Ohio State route after once considering Miami and later turning down a reported large NIL offer from the Hurricanes. Toney stayed home and enrolled early.
Smith’s Kent State highlight added another layer. That 23-yard catch passed Michael Jenkins and made Smith Ohio State’s all-time receiving-yards leader at 2,958 yards. He now has 184 career receptions and 30 touchdowns. He still needs 22 catches to pass Emeka Egbuka’s school record of 205 and six scores to pass Chris Olave’s mark of 35.
While Smith keeps rewriting the Ohio State record book, Toney is building his own case as one of the most productive players in the country.
South Florida roots are in the national receiver debate
Toney is listed around 5-foot-11 and 188 to 193 pounds. As a freshman in 2025, he had 109 receptions for 1,211 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns. He also added one rushing score and two passing scores.
In Week 1 of 2026, he set Miami’s single-game receiving record with 234 yards. His career totals now sit at 137 catches, 1,655 yards, 15 receiving touchdowns, and 320 punt-return yards.
Smith is almost the opposite profile. He is the traditional X receiver. He stands about 6-foot-3 to 6-foot-4 and weighs 220-plus pounds. In 2024, he had 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns as a true freshman.
In 2025, he followed with 87 catches, 1,243 yards, and 12 scores. He was a two-time Big Ten Receiver of the Year and a unanimous All-American. He arrived as the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class and became Ohio State’s WR1 right away.
Their NFL clocks are different too. Smith is a 2027 draft prospect, and Toney is not eligible until 2028. Smith is viewed as a top receiver and a possible top-overall pick.
They have met three times. In 2022, Chaminade-Madonna beat American Heritage 42-34. Smith had three catches for 100 yards and an 85-yard touchdown. Toney had two catches for 36 yards and two scores.
In 2023, Chaminade won again, 28-16. Smith had six catches for 83 yards and two touchdowns. Toney had three catches for six yards. On December 31, 2025, Miami beat Ohio State 24-14 in the Cotton Bowl. Smith had seven catches for 157 yards and a touchdown. Toney was held to five catches for 16 yards and one rush for four yards.
They are not scheduled to face each other in the 2026 regular season. The only way they meet again this year is if both teams reach the College Football Playoff and land in the same bracket. That would be a December or January game at a neutral site.