Ohio State lands third elite prospect at critical position of need since new assistant coach joined Buckeyes
On the heels of landing two four-star offensive linemen and earning praise for exceeding expectations , the Ohio State Buckeyes have made another splash. New offensive line coach Tyler Bowen was able to land a projected future starter on back-to-back days.
Right after clinching in-state blockers Sam Greer and Max Riley, the Buckeyes earned a commitment from Tucker Smith. The Arizona native had offers from Washington, USC, and others, and was projected to become a Trojan.
“God gave me this and put me there,” Smith said in his commitment announcement.
Smith is ranked as a high 3-star currently, and the 6-foot-5, 280-pounder fits the profile of what Day has used at guard in previous years.
On3’s Mick Walker had this to say about Smith as a recruit:
“Smith packs a powerful punch. He is able to easily knock defenders off the ball with his initial punch and win reps quickly. He has dozens of knockdowns throughout his junior film.
Second, Smith moves very well in space for someone that is 6-foot-5 and 280 pounds. He played left tackle, left guard and even right guard as a junior because of how good he is a puller. The Sandra Day O’Conner offense utilizes Smith as a puller frequently on Friday nights. He is also an asset in the screen game because of his athleticism and ability to find defenders down field.”
That sounds quite a bit like 2024 starting guard and tackle Donovan Jackson to me. Of course, Smith’s pathway to playing time won’t be easy if Bowen continues to rack up additions. But that’s the point of why Day brought in a better mass-recruiter than former coach Justin Frye.
Greer profiles as a pure tackle while Riley could join Smith as an interior lineman when it’s their time to shine. The Buckeyes hope to add at least three more blockers in the 2026 class.
More than 10 other linemen are slated to visit the Buckeyes over the course of the summer or have already seen the campus. A crown jewel like No. 1 tackle Jackson Cantwell would be terrific, but unexpected.
We’ll see, though, as Bowen clearly has a way with words and is connecting extremely well with key targets.
