LJ Smith Ready to Play College Basketball, Confident He’ll Make Immediate Impact at Ohio State After Reclassification​

LJ Smith is looking to accelerate his development by enrolling at Ohio State one year early.

The five-star guard was originally a member of the 2027 recruiting class when he committed to the Buckeyes in November. Last month, however, Smith decided to reclassify into the 2026 class and become a Buckeye this year after completing his high school education early.

Smith, who played for one of the nation’s top high school basketball programs at Oak Hill Academy last season, felt like he would gain more by starting his Ohio State career this season rather than playing another year of high school basketball.

“I was just ready to come get better at the college level and develop my game,” Smith said last week in his first interview session since arriving at Ohio State. “During the winter, I was just worried about school ball at the time at Oak Hill, just staying in ’27. Spring came around, playing AAU ball, I felt like I was done with high school, ready to go to college. So I'm hoping to get better there.”

Ohio State coach Jake Diebler said conversations with Smith about a potential reclassification started at the end of his junior season at Oak Hill, but the Buckeyes felt at the time that Smith would benefit from staying in high school for his senior year. After a strong AAU season this spring, however, Ohio State decided that Smith would be able to help the team in 2026-27 and reinitiated those conversations.

“There had been some conversations even going back to, I'll call it, towards the end of his high school season that, ‘Hey, this could be a possibility.’ It was initiated by them. We had some initial conversations. Then it really kind of shifted to, ‘Hey, we think maybe that's not best right now,’” Diebler said after Smith’s reclassification in June. “So those conversations started happening again later in the spring, and we watched him in Memphis with his AAU team and felt like he could come in, have an impact, add value to the roster as it had formed.

“In order for this to work, everybody had to be on the same page. And so it just took kind of a transparent dialogue to get to that point. And once we realized everybody was on the same page, ‘Hey, this is good for him, it's good for us,’ then it was, ‘All right, how do we get this done?’”

“I was just ready to come get better at the college level and develop my game.”– LJ Smith on enrolling at Ohio State a year early
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Texas didn't make the College Football Playoff last season after going 9-3 during the regular season. Still, Longhorns standout defensive end Colin Simmons claims that the Longhorns would have won the national championship if they were one of 12 teams in the CFP.

“Hell yeah, of course,” he told ESPN's David Hale on Thursday. “If we would've made the playoffs, I definitely feel like that chip that we had on our shoulders, we would have took it, and we would've ran with it.”
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Before the 2025 season opener in Columbus, Simmons posted a picture to his Instagram story that said he was "ready to sack" Julian Sayin in the quarterback's first collegiate start. He also called Ohio State starting offensive lineman Phillip Daniels "trash" during the game, and proceeded to get a 15-yard penalty for knocking Daniels' helmet off on the next play.

RhodeIslandBuck said:

Unless Bijan was gonna put on a headset and replace knowles, I don't think he would have helped much honestly.

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He would've gotten us closer for the FG after Stroud took Day's turtle time offense in his own hands and scrambled into game winning territory.

Ohio State Legend Cris Carter Compares Buckeye Backup Tavien St. Clair to NFL Star Patrick Mahomes​

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“He looks like a version of Patrick Mahomes. Really good athlete, can be a dual threat, (but) is more of a pocket passer,” Carter said. “Had a great spring, good-looking prospect. I think what Ryan Day and the quarterbacks that he's developed – he's a better thrower than Justin Fields. He's not as good a runner as Justin Fields. But man, I don't want to see a guy running like Justin Fields was running, because ultimately, it hurts your growth and development as a passer, especially when anticipating down the field. But, great-looking athlete. ... I saw him this year (when I) spent the week with the Buckeyes in spring football.

“Yes, he looks like the next starting quarterback if our guy Julian Sayin decides to leave college with two years of eligibility left,” the former wideout said. “The Buckeyes are going to be in good hands with him … a future NFL quarterback.”

Tomateaux Quinoa Gumbeaux said:

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So when you are rubbing one out to her, you can just say "I was being influenced" ?

Asking for a friend.

calibuck said:

Certainly Thump, but you might want to add a dash of catholicism....

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The Order of the Holy Bag

RhodeIslandBuck said:

Unless Bijan was gonna put on a headset and replace knowles, I don't think he would have helped much honestly.

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Bijan couldn't have done any worse.

I understand the polar opposite scouting reports to be honest.

Part of me really wonders if the whole , slow vs fast thing last year was because Day knew from the jump he had to really over protect his QB. He didn't go faster because his QB couldn't go faster.

Then I see him be hyper accurate and I just don't know.

This year will tell us.

Tanner said:

Obviously disappointing to not get DGG. I agree with Birm and Ward that one guy won't make or break a recruiting class---that said, if we had Bijan Robinson in 2022 we would have beat Georgia and won a title.

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Unless Bijan was gonna put on a headset and replace knowles, I don't think he would have helped much honestly.

Login to view embedded media I wonder if that same scout knocked Burrow, Tua, Bryce Young and Lawrence for them also having a "near perfect setup of surroundings"