BOOOOM! Four-star 2027 EDGE Wyatt Smith commits to Ohio State

BOOOOM! Four-star 2027 EDGE Wyatt Smith commits to Ohio State

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BOOOOM! Four-star 2027 EDGE Wyatt Smith commits to Ohio State

Ohio State has spent the bulk of its offseason preparing for the 2026 campaign and hitting the recruiting trail hard in search of future talent to bring to Columbus. The latter of those efforts are already starting to pay off, as the Buckeyes hauled in a huge addition to its 2027 class over the weekend.

That good news came on Sunday afternoon, when four-star EDGE Wyatt Smith announced his commitment to Ohio State.

The 6-foot-6, 235-pound Florida native hails from St. Thomas Aquinas, the same school that notably produced both Joey and Nick Bosa. Hailing as the No. 11 EDGE and No. 78 overall prospect nationally, Smith chose Ohio State out of nearly 30 offers, beating out top contenders Indiana, Missouri and Notre Dame.

Beating out the Tigers is a bit of a big deal in this recruitment, as Smith’s father, Justin Smith, played at Missouri from 1998-2000, where he was a two-time All-Big 12 honoree and the Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year before becoming a first round pick in the 2001 NFL Draft. Smith played 14 years in the NFL, earning five Pro Bowl selections and twice being named an All-Pro.

The younger Smith is coming off a huge 2025 campaign for St. Thomas Aquinas, leading Florida’s 5A champions in tackles (155) and sacks (13) while adding 24 tackles for loss, 33 QB hurries, two forced fumbles and two pass breakups. Deservingly, he was named a MaxPreps Junior All-American for his efforts.

This is just some of the scouting report on Smith, per 247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins:

-Throwback defensive end with exceptional size and exceptional testing metrics.
-Type of prospect where it’s clear that his best football is still ahead of him even after he took a major step forward between his sophomore and junior seasons.
-Can go speed to power on the corner.
-Elite at redirecting with his reaction time.
-Quick to diagnose play designs.
-Can dart inside or outside to collect stops.

Smith has official visits scheduled in the near future with both Missouri (May 29) and Ohio State (June 5), and it is unclear whether or not that visit with the Tigers will still occur. The Buckeyes only offered Smith this past March, but it was their track record at the position and the relationships they were able to build that won out in the end.

“I committed to Ohio State because of the development, their winning culture and the coaches,” Smith told Rivals. “I feel it is the best place for me to have a chance to compete for a national championship and to develop my skills.”

“They made a really strong impression from the very beginning,” Smith said. “Coach Johnson went over my film with me and showed me what I need to work on. He blew me away with his knowledge of the game.”

It has been an impressive run for the ageless wonder Larry Johnson, who can now lay claim to two of the nation’s best pass rushers in the 2027 class with both Smith and five-star DJ Jacobs currently committed. Ohio State as a whole currently owns the No. 9 class in the country with 12 commits. Smith is the third-highest rated among the group, behind only Jacobs and five-star wide receiver Jamier Brown.

Quick Hits

Ohio State has now landed one of two players they had been surging for in recent weeks, with the other prospect to keep an eye on now being 2027 linebacker Prince Goldsby. The Missouri native ranks as the No. 7 LB and No. 101 player nationally per the 247Sports Composite, and this past week On3’s Greg Smith filed his prediction for Goldsby to commit to Ohio State.

Position coach James Laurinaitis’ recruiting pitch practically speaks for itself at this point. The former All-American just got both Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese taken in the first seven picks of the 2026 NFL Draft, and his linebacker group in Columbus doesn’t look to be slowing down anytime soon.

Ohio State sent out a new offer on Saturday to 2027 safety Seth Williams. A Georgia native, the three-star prospect holds a whopping 50 offers to his name, and currently has official visits scheduled with Clemson (May 29), Florida State (June 5), and Florida (June 11).

The Buckeyes are a bit late to the party here for the highly coveted 6-foot-2 defensive back, so we will have to wait and see if position coach Matt Guerrieri can get Ohio State in the mix.

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