Oregon QB commit Akili Smith Jr. lights up box score in nailbiter

San Diego Lincoln didn’t come away with the win Saturday night, but the Hornets put up one heck of a fight. Arbor View (Nev.) came away with the 45-44 win after plenty of drama down the stretch, but Lincoln’s Akili Smith Jr. certainly helped keep the Hornets in the fight.

Smith finished 21-of-31 passing for 371 yards and four touchdowns, throwing a lone interception. He also picked up another 31 yards and a score on the ground.

Smith opened with a 30-yard touchdown pass to senior receiver Ty Olsen. Lincoln then fell behind 31-7 before the Smith and Olsen-led comeback began.

The 6-foot-5, 233-pound Smith punched it in on the ground from the 2-yard line before connecting with Olsen twice more for scores through the air — including a 58-yarder with under three minutes ago to put the Hornets on top.

Akili Smith Jr. locked in with Oregon

Smith has been committed to Oregon since July of last year. He is the son of former Ducks quarterback and NFL draft pick Akili Smith.

“I feel very comfortable with my decision,” Smith told Simmons in March. “Coaches are always telling me how much they want me out there, making me feel like I’m at home with my decision. It’s a great thing to be committed this early.”

“My dad really didn’t have anything to do with my decision, honestly,” he added. “All of the coaches were just always on me, talking to me, making sure that I knew that they wanted me there. It was a family aspect kind of thing, it was just kind of like home when I went up there for my Junior Day.”

Smith also participated in the Elite 11 Finals quarterback competition earlier this summer.

“I felt like I did pretty good in the beginning,” Smith told On3. “Definitely did pretty good in the Panini challenge. Ended up falling short at the end. Scored like a 34 in the beginning and then at the end just scored like an 18 so my score was a little low over there. And then in the Pro Day, (I) caught some fire in the beginning and my arm started to hurt a little bit. No excuses though I should have made every pass. It’s all good. I’m looking forward to seeing the score over that.”

Smith is the nation’s No. 209 overall prospect, No. 16 quarterback and No. 19 recruit from California in the 2025 cycle according to the On3 Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.