By Mark Pszonak
Let’s start this by saying that the safest thing to do in 2025 is to assume that every major college football program is tampering at some level when it comes to the portal. Nobody should be surprised by the new rumors and stories that are publicized on an almost daily basis. However, one school seems to be taking it to an extreme level.
Miami recently gained the attention of many during the Xavier Lucas saga. The story is well known now. Lucas played the 2024 season at Wisconsin and announced his intentions to enter the transfer portal in December. However, the Badgers wouldn’t process his paperwork because he had signed an NIL contract. They also blamed a school of tampering with Lucas…..Miami. Fast forward a couple of weeks and Lucas hired an attorney, threatened to sue Wisconsin and is now a student in Coral Gables.
Instead of laying low for a bit, Miami seems to be doubling down on their tampering allegations. Earlier today news was released by On3.com regarding the extreme amount of money Ohio State true freshman wide receiver Jeremiah Smith had been offered by another school:
NEW: Ohio State is working to retain its top talent after winning the National Championship…
Jeremiah Smith has a $4.5M+ offer and Carnell Tate has a $1M+ offer to enter the Transfer Portal, @PeteNakos_ reports.
Intel: https://t.co/FYiQsM5iyt pic.twitter.com/CYjzGbY5y1
— On3 (@On3sports) January 24, 2025
Smith isn’t in the transfer portal, so this would once again be blatant tampering. And once again the school that has been mentioned by everyone as the most likely to have offered Smith $4.5M is Miami.
The NCAA is basically toothless nowadays, and this is once again proof of that. Schools aren’t afraid of what might happen to them, so they don’t show much restraint in pushing the envelope. But Miami is taking it to another level.
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The Lucas situation seems to have worked out for the Canes, as he will very likely suit up for Miami during the 2025 season. Will they somehow manage to also add Smith? The star freshman is a South Florida native, who almost committed to the Canes out of high school. If Miami had signed Cam Ward earlier last year, he likely would be on the roster right now. But they didn’t and Smith became a star at Ohio State.
I’d say it is unlikely that Smith enters the portal and transfers anywhere (Miami), but the amounts of money being tossed around nowadays make it more difficult to assume anything. And even if this doesn’t work out for Miami, everyone knows that they will continue to do anything and everything necessary to add talent to their roster. Even if they trample the “rules” in the process.
