Report: Jeremiah Smith Gets Disability Insurance Before Ohio State's CFP Title Game

It's not often a true freshman is so transcendent that he has NFL draft analysts suggesting he would be the top pick at 19 years old if he was eligible, but that is the reality with Ohio State wide receiver Jeremiah Smith.

And he is reportedly taking steps to protect the earnings that would come with such a future.

Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports reported Tuesday that Smith's family took out a permanent total disability insurance (PTD) policy ahead of the College Football Playoff. The policy protects his future earnings from a career-ending injury and was taken out through Leverage Disability and Life Insurance, which was started in 2018 by former Kansas basketball player Eric Chenowith.

Leverage Disability and Life Insurance is also the company that signed Alabama's Bryce Young and Will Anderson Jr. to record-setting policies worth $20 million each.

Dodd reported Smith's premiums cost $7,500-$8,000 per million of coverage. By comparison, a $20 million policy would equal $150,000 in premiums.

Smith will be eligible for the 2027 NFL draft after his junior season in 2026. The policy reportedly lasts until Aug. 1, 2027, or when he signs his first NFL contract, whichever comes first.

It also protects him from non-football injuries.

That Smith was able to land such a policy as a true freshman is a testament to his talent.

The No. 1 overall recruit in the class of 2024, per 247Sports' composite rankings, wasted no time announcing his presence to the college football world with 71 catches for 1,227 yards and 14 touchdowns. Only San Jose State's Nick Nash and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter have more touchdown receptions this season.

And, unlike them, Smith has a chance to add to his numbers in Monday's College Football Playoff national championship game.

He has helped propel the Buckeyes to the sport's biggest stage with some of his best performances in the biggest moments. The freshman tallied six catches for 103 yards and two touchdowns against Tennessee in the first round before eliminating top-seeded Oregon with seven catches for 187 yards and two touchdowns in the quarterfinals at the Rose Bowl.

To Texas' credit, it held him to just one catch for three yards in the semifinals. The Longhorns made it such a priority to prevent Smith from beating them with bracket coverage, it had the wide receiver commenting on it on social media:

Next up is Notre Dame, where Smith will have a chance to lead his team to a national championship in his first season of college football. If he does, it will further bolster his early NFL draft stock years in advance.