Ohio State football news: Jeremiah Smith has big prediction for LeBron James, 76ers

Ohio State football wide receiver Jeremiah Smith turned heads with wanting revenge on Miami. But hoping for retaliation wasn’t the only thing on his mind. So was LeBron James and the Philadelphia 76ers during Big Ten Media Days.

Smith got asked his own thoughts on the beloved Buckeyes fan and NBA legend James moving on to Philly. The junior wideout first thought how crazy it is for James to join the 76ers. But then came this big prediction.

“I think they’re going to win the [NBA] Finals,” Smith said inside the Hilton Chicago.

“That’s pretty crazy. I think they’re going to win the [NBA] Finals.”

Jeremiah Smith on LeBron James signing with the Sixers 👀

(via @overtime)pic.twitter.com/DtAcTRCKxs

— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) July 30, 2026

Smith believes James has playmakers everywhere to contend for the title. But he also revealed where he was when the stunning signing happened.

“I just came off of my lift [in the weight room], and I looked at my phone and it said ‘LeBron to the 76ers.’ Everyone was mad and saying ‘Why is he going to the 76ers?’ I just told him that it’s his last year, so let him do what he wants to do. We have a lot of LeBron fans in Ohio.”

James, meanwhile, likely will be supportive of his Buckeyes even while adjusting to the City of Brotherly Love. Smith even drew a comparison to James himself during the Big Ten Media Days held Wednesday. Former Michigan tight end Jake Butt likened the OSU standout to the four-time NBA champion. 

“I mean, he’s literally like LeBron James in college still. I mean, he’s a generational athlete, a generational prospect,” Butt said on the Big Ten Network.

Other colleges tried siphoning Smith, though, through offering a $10 million offer for the WR to leave the Buckeyes. Smith stayed loyal to OSU in the end.