2027 Ohio State commit LJ Smith continues to climb recruiting rankings

Photo courtesy of LJ Smith on Instagram (@ljgodummy4)

Ohio State’s lone commit in the 2027 class, LJ Smith, is quickly ascending the recruiting rankings one year ahead of his expected arrival in Columbus.

Smith, a 6-foot-4, 180-pound combo guard, committed to Ohio State in November, citing the program’s family-like atmosphere and track record for developing young players. At the time of his commitment, Smith was ranked as a four-star recruit in 247Sports composite rankings, was the No. 35 player in the nation, and the No. 5 combo guard in the country.

In 14 games for Oak Hill Academy this past season, which competes in the Nike EYBL Scholastic League, Smith averaged 16.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. He shot 41% overall and 39% from three, while taking 57% of his shots from beyond the arc. Smith also led Oak Hill in minutes per game (30.8) and was a 78% free throw shooter.

Prior to transferring to Oak Hill, Smith set the North Carolina High School Athletic Association (NCHSAA) record for points scored in a season by a sophomore (960), averaging 33.1 points per game in 29 games his sophomore year at Lincolnton High School.

He averaged 14.1 points and three rebounds per game last summer playing for Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit and shot 42% from three-point land. He was the youngest player on his summer team and the only 2027 recruit on the team.

Since his commitment, Smith has jumped up the recruiting rankings considerably, climbing to No. 23 overall according to 247’s composite rankings, and is now classified as a five-star prospect. He is even higher in ESPN’s rankings — Smith was a five-star and the No. 10 overall player when he committed in November, and is now up to No. 8 in ESPN’s rankings.

Former Ohio State associate head coach Joel Justus, who has since left the Buckeyes to join Vanderbilt’s staff, was very involved in Smith’s recruitment to Ohio State. Even with Justus moving on, it does not sound like Smith’s commitment to Ohio State is going to be affected or cause him to change course.