Ohio State Redshirt Freshman Defensive Tackle Will Smith Jr. Sheds Black Stripe

The redshirt freshman defensive tackle “officially” became a Buckeye on Friday following Ohio State’s 11th spring practice of 2024.

THE Rushmen added another power house to the room, welcome @iwillsmithjr pic.twitter.com/6yJ0vKtQDO

— Ohio State Football (@OhioStateFB) April 5, 2024

Smith never shed his black stripe or played in a game as a true freshman as he was sidelined by injuries for much of his first year as a Buckeye. He’s impressed coaches with his development this spring, though, and was among the standouts of last week’s Student Appreciation Day scrimmage, where he recorded multiple tackles for loss including one for a safety during a drill in which the offense was running plays from its own goal line.

“He's finally healthy and he's actually stacking practices together. I think that's probably the biggest thing,” Ryan Day said Saturday when asked how Smith had improved this spring. “I don't think he's been able to show what he can really do because he's had some injuries here and there. He put on a lot of strength, a lot of weight early on, had a few issues, but now he's healthy so at least we're seeing him out there learning and growing, making plays.”

Smith is one of three second-year defensive tackles competing to earn bigger roles for the Buckeyes this season, along with Jason Moore and Kayden McDonald, as the Buckeyes look to build depth on the interior defensive line behind starting defensive tackles Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton.

With Smith’s black stripe removal, every scholarship player from Ohio State’s 2023 recruiting class who signed with the Buckeyes out of high school has now lost his black stripe.

Smith is one of two Buckeyes to have their black stripes removed following Friday’s practice along with Ohio transfer tight end Will Kacmarek.