The recruitment of Cleveland Heights, Ohio four-star defensive end Tyreke Smith is among the most closely watched in the Midwest with five clear finalists all in play. The Rivals100 prospect gave the impression on social media earlier this week that a decision may be closer than previously expected, but has since clarified that all remains status quo from his earlier plans.

THE LATEST

Oregon will be the next school to host Smith for an official visit. He will travel to Eugene the weekend after Thanksgiving and it will be his first trip to the University. Smith’s fifth and final official visit will go to Penn State on Dec. 8. Although he will have all five official visits concluded before the December signing period, Smith does not plan to make his commitment announcement until the Under Armour All-America Game on Jan. 4. Previous official visits were taken to USC (Sept. 15), Alabama (Oct. 13) and Ohio State (Oct. 27). His decision is between the five schools that receive his official visits.

IN HIS WORDS

“The recruiting process is going great… Just taking it one step at a time. I am near making a decision for myself after our visits are complete.”

RIVALS’ REACTION

Smith lived up to his Rivals100 billing as a senior, posting 70 total tackles, including 23 for loss and 11 sacks in his 10-game regular season. He also tallied 22 quarterback hurries and six passes batted down. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound Smith doubled as a tight end on offense, catching eight passes for 192 yards and four touchdowns. His recruitment is going down to the wire and where he ends up is still anyone’s guess. Penn State and Ohio State are popular picks by pundits, but he lived a majority of his life in southern California and still has family there, so keep an eye on USC.