Tag: Will Smith Jr

Black Stripe Alert! Will Smith Jr. sheds black stripe

Following in dad’s footsteps. #GoBucks

The son of a former Buckeye great has lost his black stripe. Will Smith Jr. was officially welcomed to the “Brotherhood” on Friday afternoon. It took Smith a little longer than most as he’s been on campus for over a year now, but it’s clear that the young man is headed in the right direction. Injuries may have slowed Smith just a bit last year, however, he now seems to be healthy and looking to find ways to contribute.

Hailing from Dublin, Ohio, Smith is the son of former All-American Will Smith. The defensive end starred for OSU in the early 2000s and helped lead the Bucks to the 2002 national championship over Miami. Dad also played with the New Orleans Saints before tragically losing his life in a road rage shooting in 2016.

Smith was ranked as the No. 20 defensive lineman in the 2023 class according to 247Sports.

The Buckeyes are in the middle of spring practice as they head toward the annual Scarlet and Gray game that will be aired on Fox on April 13.

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Man who shot Will Smith convicted of manslaughter

Man who shot Will Smith charged with manslaughter. #GoBucks

Ohio State fans will remember Will Smith from his All-American play during his days wearing the Scarlet and Gray from 2000 to 2003. During that time the four-year letter-winner earned All-Big Ten honors twice as well as All-American honors his last season. In addition to being named All-American, Smith also earned Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. Smith was a vital art of the 2002 BCS National Championship team.

Smith was drafted in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft by the New Orleans Saints and had a great NFL career. He spent ten seasons in New Orleans and a cup of coffee with the New England Patriots before walking away. During his NFL career, Smith was named to the All-Rookie team as well as a Pro Bowl.

In 2016, Will Smith was shot and killed after a car accident and Cardell Hayes has been found guilty of manslaughter eight years after the incident. Hayes will serve up to 40 years in prison after a retrial was completed finding him guilty of manslaughter on Will Smith and attempted manslaughter on his wife.

Smith’s son, Will Smith Jr., just completed his freshman season at Ohio State and is looking to compete for time in 2024 on the defensive line.

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Ohio State football issues availability report for Indiana Hoosiers

Ohio State football issues availability report for Indiana Hoosiers #GoBucks

The fine folks with the Ohio State football team have issued the availability report for the game against the Indiana Hoosiers, and there are really no notable names that should worry Buckeye fans, but there were eight players that are depth pieces that are listed as out and they are the following:

  • S Jayden Bonsu
  • RB T.C. Caffey
  • WR Kyion Grayes
  • TE Zak Herbstreit
  • WR Joop Mitchell
  • DE Will Smith Jr.
  • WR Reis Stocksdale
  • LB Kourt Williams II

The biggest name of note is the absence of Kourt Williams, but this is not a shock as the young man has struggled with injuries throughout his collegiate career. Kyion Grayes is another player that might have seen some action as this is excepted to be a blowout and the former four-star recruit has some exciting traits. Will Smith Jr. is a true freshman who some were expecting to possibly see some action in 2023.

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Ohio State legacy visits, then is offered a scholarship

His 2002 national championship father must be proud #GoBucks

Ohio 2025 athlete [autotag]Trey McNutt[/autotag] is pretty familiar with the Ohio State program; his father Richard helped the Buckeyes win a national title during the 2002 season.

Itā€™s not always the case that sons inherit their father’s abilities, but for Trey, it is. The 6-foot, 180-pound athlete is going to be a big time recruit and the Buckeyes are getting on him early.

Following a visit to his father’s alma mater, the younger McNutt was offered a scholarship. Although Trey is not yet listed on the 247Sports composite, he soon will be with the offers that he has accumulated after just finishing his sophomore season.

Trey is viewed as an athlete at the moment but could end up playing defense like his father, especially considering which Buckeye coaches he tagged following the offer.

The younger McNutt could join [autotag]Will Smith Jr.[/autotag] as another son of a former 2002 national champion on the current Ohio State team.

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BOOM! Three-star defensive tackle Will Smith Jr. commits to Ohio State

Who else loves this commitment for Ohio State? A legacy one from the son of an OSU great.

The Ohio State football program just got a commitment that will make lots of fans happy. It comes from a legacy prospect in the form of Will Smith, Jr. who is a 2023 three-star defensive tackle according to 247Sports. He is, of course, the son of former Ohio State All-American defensive tackle Will Smith.

The elder Smith played for the Buckeyes from 1999 to 2003 and helped anchor a defensive line that led OSU to a national championship in 2002. He finished his career at Ohio State with 167 tackles, 46.5 of them for a loss, including 23 sacks. Smith was selected by theĀ New Orleans Saints in the first round of the 2004 NFL draft. He was tragically shot and killed as a part of a road rage incident in 2016.

As a local product out of Dublin Coffman High School, Smith, Jr. becomes the fourth commitment in the 2023 class for Ohio State. At 6-foot, 3-inches, 260-pounds, Smith, Jr. may not be a highly rated recruit just yet, but he’s got the work ethic and pedigree to blossom into a force in Columbus.

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