Ohio State legacy DL Will Smith Jr. commits to the Buckeyes

Not even 10 days after receiving an offer from Ohio State, Dublin (Ohio) Coffman defensive lineman Will Smith Jr. knew where he wanted to play college football. Smith, the son of former Buckeye and NFL great Will Smith announced Sunday that night he too will don the Scarlet and Gray.

The younger Smith does not have a ranking from On3 or the On3 Consensus, but other services list him as a three-star prospect in the 2023 cycle.

When you kn⭕️w, you kn⭕️w!!#committed #grateful @R2X_Rushmen1 @CoachJimKnowles @ryandaytime @markpantoni @etwill21 pic.twitter.com/EV477J0OsI

— Will Smith (@iwillsmithjr) January 23, 2022

In addition to his recent offer from the Buckeyes, he also held offers from Kentucky, Illinois, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Duke and others.

He made multiple visits to Ohio Stadium in the last six months, including camp appearances and a pair of game-day visits.

“I grew up on OSU football and used to go to games with my dad,” Smith told Lettermen Row this fall. “It would mean a lot to me to get an offer from them.”

Smith has built a relationship over the past few months with defensive line coach Larry Johnson Sr., who ultimately extended him the offer he accepted.

“I’ve been talking with Coach Johnson more,” Smith told Lettermen Row at the time. “I think they’ve watched more of my film at this point. The coaches told me that they liked my film and saw improvement as the season went on. This visit I got to spend a little more time talking to coaches and it means a lot to be able to be getting to know them better. And them taking time with me.”

Smith is the Buckeyes’ fourth commitment in the 2023 class, joining four-star prospects Josh Padilla, Ty Lockwood, and Cedrick Hawkins.