Prior to his nationally-televised game on Sunday afternoon, 4-star wide receiver L’Christian Smith announced his commitment to Ohio State. The news was first reported by Bill Kurelic of 247Sports.
Smith (6-5 198) had been down to the Buckeyes and Kentucky. He is rated as the No. 29 player in the 2018 class per Rivals.
Ranked the No. 4 athlete in the 2018 class per the 247Sports Composite, Smith is the first wideout committed to Ohio State in this recruiting cycle.
Nicknamed “Blue” almost since birth, Smith was a First-Team All-State wide receiver last year for Wayne High School in the Dayton area. Wayne is the same high school that produced another (eventual) wide receiver in former Buckeye Braxton Miller.
At 6-foot-5, Smith obviously presents a large target for quarterbacks, which is why he is such an intriguing prospect. There was some thought that Ohio State was looking at him as a tight end, but that scenario is entirely in Smith’s hands now.
“When I went up there he just wanted to let me know that, ‘Wide receiver, that’s what we wanted to bring you here for,’” Smith said this past June of a meeting with Urban Meyer. “But it’s all about development. Say I get taller and gain a few pounds, and then I become a tight end. You never know. He gave me two plans. So if I stay this size, I’m a wide receiver. If I get bigger, I’m a tight end. That’s pretty much what he told me, so we’ll go with it.”
Smith grew up a Buckeye fan, so this is a very big day for him. It wasn’t too long ago, however, that the rumors of being a tight end essentially eliminated Ohio State from his consideration.
“It was hard because coming from Ohio, of course anybody from Ohio wants to go to Ohio State,” Smith said. “That’s where I wanted to go growing up as a kid. When they finally offered me, I was very happy. But when the tight end stuff came out, it kind of got me mentally because as an 18-year old kid I work every day to be the best wide receiver I can, and then when somebody says, ‘Oh, you would be better as a tight end,’ that kind of makes me put my head down a little bit. But I had to learn how to get over that. I had a meeting with Coach Meyer and he told me straight up, ‘Wide receiver, that’s what we want you to play here.’”
That is all water under the bridge now, however, as Blue is Scarlet and Gray.
Smith is the 17th commitment for Ohio State in a 2018 class that looks to be around 22-25 players.
Why ‘Blue’ for L’Christian Smith?
Where did @bluesmith_ get the nickname "Blue"? pic.twitter.com/SlZTdj7SGU
— Tony Gerdeman (@TonyGerdeman) June 18, 2017
