Four-star [DE] Tyreke Smith committed to Ohio State on Thursday at the Under Armour All-America Game in Orlando.
4-star DE Tyreke Smith commits to Ohio State
Smith is taking his game and perhaps his message as well to the next level.
The 6’3, 260-pound edge rusher is the 59th-ranked player nationally in the 247Sports Composite and the fourth-ranked player at his position.
Smith is a player capable of holding the point of attack and forcing plays to go back the other way. He’s the type of player who could draw double teams, freeing up opportunities for other defensive linemen.
Here’s Land Grant Holy Land on the commit:
Using his 6’3 and 260-pound frame, Smith, the fourth rated weakside defensive end, and 60th overall recruit, in the class of 2018 according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, has showcased his ability to rush the quarterback time and time again on the high school level.
As a senior at Cleveland Heights, the newest Buckeye pledge accounted for 70 total tackles, and 11 quarterback sacks, while also hauling in eight receptions for 192 yards and four touchdowns at tight end for the Mac Stephens-coached Tigers.
Building a pipeline into the Tigers’ program, Smith will join another Cleveland Heights alum at Ohio State, as his former high school teammate Jaylen Harris just finished his true freshman season as a wide receiver with the Cotton Bowl Champion Buckeyes.
But while what Smith will do on the field is important, he’s already made a big stand for what he believes off it.
Smith showed up to a recruiting camp at Ohio State earlier this summer wearing this T-shirt, a message he said he created with his brother to bring awareness to black people being killed by violence across the country.
In a June interview with SB Nation, Smith spoke about the inspiration for the shirt and the message behind it.
“[My grandfather’s] just always been telling me that, being African-American, you’re always gonna have to do the extra stuff, the extra mile,” Tyreke said. “You’re always gonna have a target on your back. We weren’t always equals, stuff like that. Some people think we’re still not. Some people think they’re still above us.
“He’d just be saying be mindful, keep your head up. Keep your head on a swivel. Anything can happen at any time.”
Smith may have a long and prosperous career, but a penchant for athletic activism sparked as a teenager will always be an indelible first impression for football fans everywhere.
