It would have felt wrong if Will Smith Jr. had signed with any school other than Ohio State.
After all, he grew up just minutes away from OSU and played at nearby Dublin Coffman High School. His father, Will Smith, was one of Ohio State’s first greats of the 21st century, earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2003 after he helped lead the Buckeyes to a national championship in 2002.
When the younger Smith began emerging as an FBS recruit in his own right, Ohio State fans began calling for the Buckeyes to offer him. Once the Buckeyes did that on Jan. 14, Smith committed to Ohio State just nine days later.
The Smith File
- Class: 2023
- Size: 6-3/265
- Pos: DT
- School: Dublin Coffman (Dublin, Ohio)
- Composite Rating: ★★★★
- Composite Rank: #261 (#36 DL)
“It’s obviously something I’ve been seriously thinking about since they offered last week,” Smith Jr. told Eleven Warriors when he committed. “But even before that. I wasn’t focused on them as much as I was focused on the schools that had offered me, but it was always something in my mind. So when it came, it just got real and I thought a lot about it and talked it over with my mom a lot. When I had a chance to get there for a visit and I was able to get some questions answered and just get a better feel for the coaches and the program … I just left there today knowing it was home.”
Smith officially signed with the Buckeyes on Wednesday, a moment that was undoubtedly made more special because of the opportunity he now has to follow in the footsteps of his late father, who died in 2016.
“It means so much,” Smith said after his commitment. “I wish he could be here to see it, but I know he would be so happy and proud.”
The hometown hero is ready to take on the mantle and continue the legacy. A buckeye through and through, the pride of Dublin is raring to get after opposing QBs. Welcome to The Brotherhood Will Smith Jr.#CHO23N |@iwillsmithjr pic.twitter.com/pEElfKVSsJ
— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) December 21, 2022
While the elder Smith made his mark at Ohio State and with the New Orleans Saints as a defensive end, his son projects to play defensive tackle for the Buckeyes. At 6-foot-3 and 265 pounds, Smith will have to continue bulking up once he gets to Ohio State. Still, he already demonstrates a combination of strength, agility and ability to disrupt plays inside that should give him a bright future as a 3-technique.
Ranked as the No. 261 overall prospect in the 2023 class, Smith demonstrated considerable improvement throughout his senior season and has risen nearly 300 spots in 247Sports’ composite rankings since his commitment as a result. He attributed that improvement to his work with Ohio State defensive line coach Larry Johnson over the summer by attending all six of the Buckeyes' high school football camps.
“Definitely, definitely, definitely,” Smith said in August when asked if he thought those camps made him a better football player. “I feel like I've learned so much. It's helped me so much from last season to this season.”
Smith’s perfect camp attendance made it clear how hard of a worker he is, and that drive to get better should suit him well as he begins his Ohio State career in just a few weeks as an early enrollee. That work ethic, combined with a well-rounded skill set, will allow him to compete for early playing time in Ohio State’s defensive tackle rotation and develop into a potential impact player over the next three to five years.
