'Jump on the ship before we sail away': Ohio State commit Jeremiah Smith reportedly connected to Georgia

Jeremiah Smith was not in Ohio State football's 2024 class for very long with Dylan Raiola.

The 2024 five-star wide receiver and the No. 2 player in the country was paired with Raiola for three days before the 2024 five-star quarterback and No. 1 player in the country ended his commitment to the Buckeyes in December.

But after Raiola announced Monday his commitment to Georgia, buzz surrounding Smith and the Bulldogs has ramped up.

"Georgia getting Dylan means a lot to me and my interest in them," Smith told On3Recruits' Chad Simmons. "I have to really give Georgia a look now that they have Dylan."

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Raiola's commitment to Georgia helped the Bulldogs to take over the No. 2 recruiting class in the country behind No. 1 Michigan, pushing Ohio State to No. 3. The Buckeyes have 13 commits in the 2024 class, including two five-star players.

Quoting a deleted tweet by Smith acknowledging Raiola's commitment to Georgia, Bulldogs 2024 wide receiver commit Ny Carr encouraged Smith to "jump on the ship before we sail away."

247Sports director of recruiting Steve Wiltfong continued the connection between Georgia and Smith, calling the Bulldogs "the biggest threat to flip Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State." 247Sports also reported Smith will visit Georgia Friday.

Despite all of the rumblings between Smith and Georgia, Smith seemed to try and calm any suspicions down later Monday.

"I'm just having fun," Smith tweeted, calling Ohio State quarterback commit Air Noland "QB1" in a tweet Saturday.

Chaminade-Madonna College Preparatory School football coach Dameon Jones told The Dispatch in December that Smith's made his mind up about Ohio State "a few months back," encouraging him to find his best fit instead of relying solely on name brand.

“He’s different,” Jones said. “I’ve coached a lot of kids in my day. I’ve coached a lot of kids that become pros in my day. He’s different. Like he has that work ethic that a lot of kids in this generation don’t have. That’s why he’s where he’s at now.”

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: OSU commit Jeremiah Smith connects with Georgia after Dylan Raiola commitment