Superstar Ohio State receiver Jeremiah Smith shocked the sports apparel world Wednesday by inking a lucrative NIL contract with Adidas, the major rival of Nike, which is the Buckeyes’ official team sponsor. Minutes after Smith’s deal with Adidas was announced, former NFL receiver Dez Bryant took to social media to call out Nike for quite literally dropping the bag with Smith.

“Nike about to lose all credibility,” Bryant wrote Wednesday. “How did they lose Jeremiah Smith to adidas?”

Bryant also believes that by signing Smith — widely considered the best receiver in all of college football — Adidas is making a play for Nike’s spot as the top-ranked sports apparel brand.

“Adidas coming for the #1 spot,” Bryant tweeted.

Smith enters the 2025 college football season as the sport’s biggest brand name without the surname Manning after helping spark the Buckeyes to the 2024 College Football Playoff national championship with a Big Ten-best 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns on 76 receptions as a true freshman.

But given Nike’s longstanding relationship with Ohio State, which is in the midst of a 15-year apparel agreement that began in 2018, Smith’s signing with Nike’s biggest brand rival is already sending shockwaves through the sports apparel world.

“One of the most memorable moments from last season was losing my black stripe and officially becoming a Buckeye,” Smith said in a statement released by Adidas. “Fast forward a year and I’m blessed to be adding three, joining the fastest brand in football. It’s crazy to be partnering with a brand that has such a talented roster of players and that I’ve been wearing since I was a young kid. We’re not done yet.”

Jeremiah Smith vows to never lose to Michigan for rest of Ohio State career

Jeremiah Smith had a borderline perfect first season at Ohio State. The wide receiver busted onto the scene, catching 76 passes for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns during the Buckeyes’ national championship run.

He dazzled in every way possible, but there was one major blemish on his team’s season as a whole. Ohio State once again fell to Michigan, suffering a highly-publicized and scrutinized 13-10 loss to the Wolverines on Nov. 30.

Smith caught a touchdown in that game, part of a five catch, 35-yard performance. That was far below the standard he’s set for himself though, and the one he’ll be trying to reach in his sophomore season.

After all the success he’s enjoyed thus far in Columbus, the loss to Michigan still sticks in his craw. Ahead of the 2025 season, Smith spoke with Manny Navarro of The Athletic, where he vowed to never lose to the Wolverines again, as long as the wide receiver is suiting up for the Buckeyes.

“I’m not a sore loser, but I hate losing, and losing to that team up north was pretty crazy,” Smith said, via The Athletic. “In the end, I think it really helped us play the way we did in the playoffs. But I didn’t want to go to Ohio State and lose to that team up north.

“I just hate them. Just something about them. For the next two years, I promise you, I will not lose to them. I can’t lose to them in the next two years.”

— On3’s Steve Samra contributed to this report.

It’s a mess. I don’t think this is a correct fix.

I think NIL is going to try turn this into something that is frowned upon if you try to take the Audit clearing house to court. I think there will be some sort of team rules or expectations that if you come to this university than you are expected to follow and respect the process.

I am not a fan of that. I am not a fan of Ohio State following the rules to a T because our AD is leading the NIL board. I think that kind of relationship is a double edge sword. I hope the plan works and college football follows the Buckeyes example, but so far the SEC and other programs aren’t.

I believe in the Buckeyes, but all this mess takes the fun out of recruiting for me. I used to get fired up about following a kid from HS to signing day to draft day, and now a days that passion is slipping away for me.

Alabama has a long line of superstar wide receivers, and the university added a potential future star to the mix on Wednesday.

Per Hayes Fawcett of Rivals, 5-star wide receiver Cederian Morgan announced his commitment to the Crimson Tide. Morgan is the No. 2 receiver and No. 12 overall player in 247Sports’ composite, and he chose Alabama over offers from Colorado, Florida and Georgia, among others.

Per 247Sports, Morgan is the third five-star recruit in the class of 2026 to commit to the Crimson Tide, joining edge rusher Xavier Griffin and cornerback Jorden Edmonds. The commitment fulfills the Alabama native’s goal to stay home.

“I get to stay home and play for the in-state school that I grew up a fan of,” Morgan told Rivals’ Chad Simmons (h/t Keegan Pope of On3.com). “It is a great feeling. This was like a dream for me. I have been there so many times and Alabama is home for me.”

A 6’4″, 210 prospect, Morgan stars for Benjamin Russell High School in Alexander City, Alabama. As a junior, he produced 70 catches for 1,162 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 16.6 yards per catch.

In addition to his prowess on the football field, Morgan is a multi-sport athlete who also plays basketball and competes in track and field. On the basketball court, he averaged 14.4 points and 11.3 rebounds during his junior year. He’s also a two-time state qualifier in the high jump.

Still, the football field is where Morgan thrives the most, and he appears to be a polished prospect who can make an immediate impact at Alabama. 247Sports scouting analyst Gabe Brooks described him as a “uniquely gifted pass-catching target with outstanding physical tools and athletic chops” who “projects as a high-major impact player with traits that suggest long-term NFL Draft high-round potential.”

Crimson Tide fans are surely going to be excited to see Morgan paired with star receiver and fellow Alabama native Ryan Williams in 2026.