Two of the biggest early stars of the 2024 college football season are Miami quarterback Cam Ward and Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith.
Ward, a transfer from Washington State, is QB1 for the 6-0 Miami Hurricanes and a Heisman Trophy contender. Smith, the No. 1 recruit in the 2024 class who is widely considered to be one of the best freshman receiver prospects in history, leads Ohio State in yards (453), touchdowns (six) and "holy crap did he just do that!?" one-handed catches.
Now imagine them teaming up on the same Miami team.
Don't worry, Buckeyes fans. Smith isn't going anywhere. But this whopper of a what-if did nearly happen last December, Smith told 247Sports on New Year's Day at the All-American Bowl in San Antonio. He was a few weeks removed from a dramatic Signing Day -- the longtime Buckeye commit allowed for some drama with Miami entering the picture, then did not send in his LOI until later Wednesday night -- and opened up on the few hours between his announcement and his official paperwork signing, which would ultimately bind him to the Buckeyes.
Here's a reconstruction of Smith's version of events:
The night before Signing Day, Ohio State's collective and Smith's camp were locked in negotiations about Smith name, image and likeness deal. Smith said his agent didn't see the contract until Wednesday. The family wanted to make sure everything looked good.
Smith and his family went to a hibachi restaurant to celebrate his commitment to the Buckeyes. Smith devoured his rice, chicken, steak and shrimp. That's about the time his phone started to blow up. Word started to get around that Smith hadn't yet signed his letter of intent. That meant other schools could still contact and try to flip him and by now you should know Miami and Mario Cristobal won't go quietly into the night.
Cristobal reached out. Hurricanes wide receiver coach Kevin Beard reached out. So did the program's executive director Dennis Smith. On top of all of those pitches, Smith said that the Hurricanes also reached out to his agent and re-up their offer in an effort to sign him.
But perhaps the most interesting phone call of the night came from a quarterback not yet associated with anybody: Ward, who was navigating his own dilemma and was undecided on whether he'd transfer to another school or turn pro.
Ward announced for the NFL Draft on Jan. 1 and then eventually changed his mind to transfer to Miami. Before then he had been involved in a month-long transfer portal recruitment that included Miami and Florida State among others.
Ward called Smith during the madness of that nine-hour period. They talked for 10 minutes. Smith says Ward told him, "If you choose to go to Miami, I'm going to go there."
We asked Smith if he would have gone to Miami had Ward already been committed there -- and not undecided.
"It depends, it depends," he said. "It would have been a tough decision. … That would have definitely been something special, for sure."
It's nothing but a what-if at the midway point of 2024 college football season. But what a combination that could have been.
