The Ohio State football recruiting class of 2023 is complete and despite some murmurs of negativity in the crowd, this class is fantastic from top to bottom. One of the studs of this class is a four-star legacy recruit defensive lineman from their backyard in Will Smith from Dublin Coffman in Dublin, Ohio.
Smith is regarded as a top 245 recruit in the country and a top 35 defensive lineman in this class. Every Buckeye fan remembers the late, great Will Smith who dominated from 2000 until 2003 and everyone is rooting for the same success for his son.
Name: Will Smith
High School: Dublin Coffman (Dublin, OH)
Height: 6-feet, 3-inches
Weight: 260 pounds
4-Star Defensive Lineman
Strengths
Ohio State DL commit Will Smith rose a lot of spots in 247’s newest rankings due to a impressive senior season.
4 star status now… pic.twitter.com/d8CqpYyIIS
— Buckeyes Insider (@buckeyesinsider) October 12, 2022
Breaking It All Down
Will Smith Jr. is a versatile athlete who saw significant time both as a defensive end and defensive tackle in high school. He has the ability to fit either role, but his body and frame indicate a smoother transition to the interior of the defensive line.
Smith has a great frame and should add at least 15 more pounds with ease and his high motor and effort may allow him to see the field sooner than most of his peers. Smith plays with high football I.Q. and is rarely out of position. In my opinion, he is highly underrated likely due to the lack of drama with his recruitment and at a position that lacks the media flash.
Defensive line drills at Ohio State camp. First two linemen through the drill were Ohio State commit Will Smith Jr. and Georgia four-star Kylan Fox (who also plays tight end). pic.twitter.com/05Ssr2Vwgp
— Dan Hope (@Dan_Hope) June 21, 2022
Weaknesses
2023 four-star defensive lineman Will Smith Jr. (@iwillsmithjr) has signed his National Letter of Intent and is officially an Ohio State Buckeye.@11W @11WRecruiting pic.twitter.com/uJ6n0OWIAl
— Chase Brown (@chaseabrown__) December 21, 2022
Breaking It All Down
Will Smith Jr. is a bit of a jack of all trades, but a master of none as far as his physical traits go. He has a great frame but it is hard to envision him growing into a behemoth of a defensive tackle because he lacks the length of your typical dominant defensive end. Smith also lacks the athleticism of some of the top-tier prospects.
Ohio State D tackle commit Will Smith rushes passer and forces and recovers fumble. pic.twitter.com/wVAG7m101b
— Bill Kurelic (@Bill_Kurelic) October 15, 2022
Comparison: Tyreke Smith
Breaking It All Down
Tyreke Smith and Will Smith Jr. play two different positions, but their career arcs have the potential to be similar. Tyreke Smith was a solid starter for Ohio State and even earned All-Big Ten honors before moving on to the NFL. Tyreke Smith shined with his hand usage and ability to put effective pass-rush moves together rather than his pure physical ability. I can see Will Smith Jr. winning more due to his technical ability and hand usage than pure power or speed.
I know Trevor Penning bullied a few dudes this week but this was an impressive rep from Tyreke Smith from Ohio State. Swipes the elbow and slightly drops his shoulder while running the arc. pic.twitter.com/TaKISfV035
— Russell Brown (@RussNFLDraft) February 4, 2022
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