Huber Heights Wayne four-star wide receiver L'Christian "Blue" Smith isn't set to make his college decision until sometime next month. But given his comments following Ohio State's one-day camp on Saturday afternoon, it's not all that hard to figure out which way he's leaning.
"I got the same impression I always leave here with: It's the place to be," Smith told reporters gathered outside of the Woody Hayes Athletic Center. "I can’t even explain it. Anybody that hasn’t been here, if you come up here, you’ll understand why it’s the place to be. Go to a football game. Trust me. It’s the place to be.”
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound Smith is considered the fourth-best prospect in the state and No. 116 prospect overall in the Class of 2018. He recently included Ohio State in his Top 10 alongside Alabama, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Notre Dame, Penn State and Tennessee, but the Buckeyes surged into the lead following a sit down with head coach Urban Meyer last month.
It was then that Meyer put to rest the narrative Smith may be best served to play tight end at the next level, something the four-star receiver hasn't taken too kindly to. He hasn't been shy about calling out those who do make that claim, either.
"When I went up there, [Meyer] just let me know that it’s wide receiver — that’s what we want to bring you here for," Smith said. "It's all about development. If I get taller and gain a few pounds, then I could become a tight end. You never know. [Meyer] gave me two plans. So if I stay this size, I’m a wide receiver. If I get bigger, I’m a tight end. That’s pretty much what he told me."
It was certainly in the coach's best interest to have that conversation, knowing Smith is on the verge of making a decision. The tight end talk allowed Kentucky to make significant strides in his recruitment, and Meyer can't afford to miss out on such a highly rated prospect in his own back yard.
Smith, who hauled in 43 catches for 736 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior, was hoping to play basketball at the next level, too. And after averaging 17 points and 10 rebounds on the hardwood for the Warriors last season, playing for the Wildcats surely looked enticing. However, Smith has decided his future is on the football field.
"I want to be on the field, catching touchdowns," Smith said. "The field is my calling."
Smith didn't work out on Saturday, as he's still recovering from a stress fracture in his back that also held him out of Nike Football's The Opening Cleveland Regional in April. He'll be in Oregon for the Finals, though, along with eight future Buckeyes and several other priority targets.
Only after a week of valuable time with prospects who could potentially be his teammates at the next level will Smith finally make his decision known.
"You're going to have to find out," he said. "It's going to be something big though. You'll definitely be impressed."
