Scarlet Sunrise: Now healthy, Will Smith Jr. making impression on Ohio State defensive line

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Now healthy, Will Smith Jr. making impression on Ohio State defensive line

Will Smith Jr. kept popping up on the availability report for the Buckeyes last year. Now finally healthy, the redshirt freshman keeps popping up as a contributor on the Ohio State defensive line in spring practice.

“He’s finally healthy, and he’s actually stacking practices together,” head coach Ryan Day said after Student Appreciation Day. “So I think that’s probably the biggest thing. I don’t think he’s been able to really show what he can do because he’s had some injuries here and there. And he put on a lot of strength and a lot of weight early on and then had a few issues.”

Day reiterated: “But now he’s healthy. So at least we’re seeing him out there learning and growing and making some plays.”

Will Smith Jr. is the son of the late Will Smith, who played for the Buckeyes’ 2002 national championship team and is a member of the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame. The younger Smith was the No. 6 Ohio prospect this past cycle, according to the On3 Industry Ranking.

As a senior at Coffman High School in Dublin, he logged 47 tackles, 14 TFLs and five sacks. He was also a Division I state qualifier in the shot put in track and field. Smith enrolled early at Ohio State in January and participated in spring drills. Injuries, though, limited Smith throughout his first year with the program.

While some of his classmates — like wideout Carnell Tate, cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr., safety Malik Hartford and even fellow defensive tackle Kayden McDonald — made an impact as true freshmen, Smith watched from the sidelines. He didn’t record a single snap on special teams or defense in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus.

Smith, however, is making up for lost time in his second spring with the program.

He’s jockeying for position among the second group of defensive tackles, who are all capable of seeing the field in 2024, especially early in what’s expected to be a longer season because of the new 12-team College Football Playoff.

The projected starters at defensive tackle are Tyleik Williams and Ty Hamilton. As for who’s next, well, Smith is in the mix.

“For the inside guys, I feel pretty good,” Johnson said. “Jason Moore’s starting to make a push. You got Hero [Kanu] inside, and then you got K-Mac, Kayden McDonald’s doing a really good job on the inside. So it gives us some depth there.

“Now can Will Smith give us a third piece of that puzzle? And that’s what we’re looking for. So I think right now it’s really just pushing those young guys more than I’m pushing older guys. And we kind of shut [the older guys] down a little bit and made these young guys get some work against the ones and twos.”

Johnson went as far as saying last week that he’s “counting on” Smith and added that the second-year defensive tackle is “practicing really well.”

Smith’s No. 53 jersey has been hard to miss in the three practices available to the media this spring. Whether it’s him working with the second group of defensive interior linemen in drills or making plays with the twos in a scrimmage setting, his growth is notable.

He’s showed up in run defense, in particular, like when he created one of the three straight safeties during goal line work at Student Appreciation Day Saturday.

Johnson expects his worthy underclassman defensive tackles to come in and play 25-35 snaps a game early in the season.

“That’s the plan,” he said, “and get those guys ready for the long haul. So they got to play early, got to play often.”

If Smith continues on his current path, he could very well be part of that group.

Four-star safety DeShawn Stewart commits to Ohio State

Ohio State’s massive recruiting weekend included its fourth commitment in three days, as four-star Wayne (N.J.) DePaul Catholic safety DeShawn Stewart pledged to the Buckeyes.

“I got the chance to look around the campus and facilities,” Stewart told Lettermen Row‘s Alex Gleitman. “I got to watch practice, eat with the coaches afterwards, spoke to Coach [Ryan] Day. It was the whole package.”

The 6-foot, 185-pound Stewart is the No. 154 overall prospect and the No. 16 safety, according to On3. That said, he’s the No. 323 overall prospect in the On3 Industry Ranking.

For more on Stewart’s commitment, head on over here.

Unpacking observations from Student Appreciation Day

True freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith stole the show on Student Appreciation Day, but Lettermen Row took stock of more than just the first-year receiving stud.

Ohio State freshman wideout Jeremiah Smith mossing second-year cornerback Jermaine Mathews Jr. pic.twitter.com/sACZCweNzR

— Andy Backstrom (@andybackstrom) March 30, 2024

We unpacked our notebook, complete with key observations from both sides of the ball: words on the blitzing success of linebacker C.J. Hicks, a sharp day from quarterback Devin Brown, the depth and strength of the Ohio State defensive line and a whole lot more.

Check it out here.

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• Freshman receiver Jeremiah Smith wows during Student Appreciation Day

Counting Down

Buckeyes vs. Akron: 152 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 243 days

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