2027 guard LJ Smith, a 6’4”, 180-pound standout from Lincolnton, NC and star at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia, has committed to Jake Diebler and Ohio State. With the possibility that he will reclassify to the 2026 class, he would join a group that already features No. 7 overall prospect and five-star forward Anthony Thompson, along with top-150 four-star forward Alex Smith. A consensus top 25 prospect nationally in the 2027 cycle, he chose the Buckeyes over Tennessee, Georgia, North Carolina and several others.

If he remains in the 2027 class, he would give Jake Diebler a five-star signee in back-to-back classes, after  Ohio State had not brought in a five-star since D’Angelo Russell in 2014. 

Competing up a grade level with Team Thad on the Nike EYBL circuit, Smith averaged 13.8 points and 3.6 rebounds last spring and summer while shooting an impressive 41.9% from three.

Considered one of the top perimeter shooters in the 2027 class, Smith scores efficiently off the catch and off the dribble, showing smooth balance, vision, and positional size. He excels in transition with strong straight-line driving ability.

Smith’s versatility is what makes him so difficult to defend. He’s just as effective playing off the ball as he is creating with it, using purposeful movement off screens and changing speeds and directions to free himself. When defenders chase him off the three-point line, he has the instincts and athleticism to attack the closeout, get downhill, and finish at the rim. Whether he arrives on campus next season or the year after, he projects to make an immediate impact for Ohio State — the kind of addition that elevates the Buckeyes into legitimate Final Four contention.

-Jason Harris