Wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) scoring a touchdown. Ohio State beat Ball State 56-3 on Sept. 5, 2026. Credit: Cassandra D'Angelo | Sports Photo Editor.
Ohio State entered the season looking for a receiver who could emerge alongside Jeremiah Smith.
It may not have taken long to find one.
Smith and UTSA transfer Devin McCuin combined for 248 receiving yards and three touchdowns Saturday as the Buckeyes rolled past Ball State 56-3 at Ohio Stadium.
After Carnell Tate departed for the NFL, Ohio State faced a significant question at wide receiver. Tate and Smith combined for 2,118 receiving yards and 21 touchdowns last season as the Buckeyes’ two leading receivers. In the season opener, McCuin made an early case that he can help fill that production, giving Ohio State another receiving threat opposite Smith.
McCuin said playing in the Horseshoe for the first time, and scoring a touchdown was something he had only dreamed about.
“I didn’t think it was going to be like this,” McCuin said. “It’s a blessing. I worked so hard my whole entire life for this moment, and I’m ready for it.”
McCuin also explained that sharing the field with someone as accomplished as Smith, whose 151 receiving yards were 12th game with more than 100 receiving yards, makes him a better competitor.?
“He’s a generational talent,” McCuin said. “It’s a pleasure playing alongside him. Every day in the offseason, I’m chasing him. He just pushes me to be better, to see him do things like that, it’s like, ‘Okay, I gotta go do that too.’ He just pushes everyone in the building.”
Quarterback Julian Sayin said the connection he and McCuin built during the offseason and preseason camp showed in their first game together..
“He creates a lot of confidence, a lot of trust in the whole offensive unit,” Sayin said. “It was awesome to see him score a touchdown.”
Day explained that there is always that “wow” factor when he sees certain plays or talent shine through, but the focus quickly shifts to what comes next.?
“There are times where I say that the talent and the players sometimes overcome some of the coaching, and that’s kind of how that works,” Day said. “But we know in matchup games that’s not going to work. So as you watch it, you’re always looking at it through that type of lens to make sure that we’re doing what’s right.”
