Under NFL draft rules, Jeremiah Smith's first chance is 2027

The rule fits in one sentence

To be drafted, a player must be at least three years removed from high school (ESPN). There is no minimum age and no rule about how many college games you need. The clock that matters is the one that starts when high school ends.

Players who clear that bar but still have college eligibility left do not enter automatically. They apply for what the league calls special eligibility. For the 2026 draft, the NFL said 42 players were granted it, each having met the three-year rule and renounced college eligibility by written notice to the league office on or before January 14. Players in the national title game got until January 23, and a new earlier "soft" deadline of January 5 was added to help all-star games plan (NFL.com). A separate group of 21 underclassmen had already finished their degrees and were eligible that way.

How the math lands on Smith

Smith was the top prospect in the 2024 recruiting class and played his first college season that fall (Wikipedia)). Three years out of high school puts his first opening at the 2027 draft. That is why an Associated Press preview carried by ESPN called 2026 his final season, and why CBS Sports draft analyst Ryan Wilson wrote on September 8 that he will probably be the first non-quarterback drafted "next April" (CBS Sports).

One thing we could not confirm: the NFL's exact declaration deadline for the 2027 class. We found no published date yet. The 2026 cycle used mid-January, so that is a reasonable guide rather than a promise.

An Ohio State freshman once took the rule to court

Here is the coincidence I did not expect. The best-known challenge to this rule came from another Ohio State freshman star, running back Maurice Clarett, who sued to get into the 2004 draft. A federal district judge, Shira Scheindlin, ruled the league could not keep him out. The Second Circuit reversed her in an opinion written by Sonia Sotomayor, years before she joined the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Court declined to hear his appeal (Wikipedia). The rule stood, and Clarett entered the 2005 draft instead.

So the three-year rule that shaped Smith's timeline was defended, twenty-odd years ago, against a Buckeye. College football history has a sense of humor about Columbus.

What the wait gave Ohio State

People argue about whether the rule is fair to players, and that argument is worth having. For a college fan, though, the third year has been a gift. It gave Smith time to pass Michael Jenkins as Ohio State's career receiving yards leader on September 19, 2026, and to catch four touchdowns against Illinois a week later. It also produced a choice that says something about him: a CBS Sports profile reports he turned down transfer offers worth about $10 million after the 2025 season to stay (CBS Sports).

The final year even came with a title he did not have before. He was named a team captain, and ESPN's preview said the news made him tear up (ESPN). For the fuller picture of who he is, see our profile of Jeremiah Smith.

When he does apply next winter, the form is the easy part. The three years are what took the time, and in his case nobody in Columbus seems to be complaining.