Ohio State is reaching back into the past to try and forge into the future on its defensive line. According to an announcement on his Twitter account, 2023 three-star defensive lineman Will Smith, Jr. has been offered a scholarship from the Buckeyes.
You can probably guess it, but Smith, Jr. is the son of former Ohio State and New Orleans Saints defensive lineman, Will Smith, who played for OSU from 200-2003 and helped lead the Buckeyes to a national title in 2002. The elder Smith was a first-team All-American, team captain, and the Big Ten’s Defensive Player of the year his senior season in 2003.
Smith was drafted in the first round by the New Orleans Saints in the 2003 NFL draft and went on to play for them for nine seasons. He was tragically shot and killed during a traffic altercation in New Orleans in 2016.
Extremely excited and grateful to receive an offer from THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY!!! @OhioStateFB Thank you!! @R2X_Rushmen1 @CoachJimKnowles @markpantoni #GoBucks 🙏 pic.twitter.com/0VsoPZXf55
— Will Smith (@iwillsmithjr) January 14, 2022
Smith, Jr. does not yet have a composite ranking on 247Sports, but he is out of Dublin, Ohio, and plays for Dublin Coffman High School. He was offered a scholarship on the day that the recruiting dead period ended on Friday.
We’ll keep an eye on this recruitment and how Smith, Jr. is progressing during his senior year in the suburb of Columbus as things progress.
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