UA All-America Game: DE Tyreke Smith headed to Ohio State

ORLANDO – Tyreke Smith, who was long-rumored to be heading to Ohio State, took all five of his official visits and passed on committing during the Early Signing Period. But he finally made his pledge public to the Buckeyes during the Under Armour All-America Game on Thursday night.

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Smith, the No. 60 recruit in the nation, took official visits to Ohio State, Penn State, Alabama, Oregon and USC before committing to the Buckeyes. He actually notified the Ohio State staff of his decision a few weeks before making his announcement public. With the defensive end position being a priority for the Buckeyes during this cycle, Smith became a huge in-state priority for head coach Urban Meyer and assistant coach Larry Johnson. Rumors regarding Johnson’s possible retirement raised some questions with Smith, but these were answered when Johnson announced that he has no plans of stepping down.

Adding an in-state four-star is always important but with the primary competitor being Penn State, keeping him away from a conference rival is also vital. Smith will add additional depth to a defensive line that is loaded, but will lose a substantial amount of talent during the next two years. He still has the talent to make an immediate impact in 2018.

Losing a key recruit to a conference rival always stings, but there is no shame in losing a four-star Ohio recruit to the Buckeyes. With Micah Parsons already signed and Jayson Oweh being considered a heavy lean to Penn State when he makes his decision later Thursday, the Nittany Lions might still get a win at the defensive end position. However, if Oweh pulls a stunner and commits to a different school, then Thursday will be considered a huge recruiting loss for the program.