The Ohio State Buckeyes received surprising yet expected news as 2027 five-star recruit LJ Smith officially reclassified to the class of 2026.
Ohio State Buckeyes Add To 2026 Recruiting Class
According to Travis Branham of 247Sports, Smith will enroll at Ohio State a year early. The 6-4 combo guard committed to the Buckeyes in November. He chose the Buckeyes over offers from North Carolina, Indiana, Tennessee, Kansas, Virginia, LSU, Georgia, Mississippi State, Clemson, and others.
NEWS: LJ Smith, the No. 28 overall recruit in the 2027 class, is reclassifying to 2026 and enrolling early at Ohio State for the 2026-27 season, he tells @247Sports.
Story: https://t.co/YgoiGEycoX pic.twitter.com/SHHLWzHMsB
— Travis Branham (@TravisBranham_) June 15, 2026
“Coach [Jake] Diebler believes in me a lot, and I feel like this is my chance to start developing at the college level and help the team win right away,” Smith told Branham.
Smith had an excellent first season at Oak Hill Academy after the Lincolntown (NC) native dominated the North Carolina High School basketball as a sophomore. The 6-4 guard was having a solid spring AAU campaign with Team Thad, averaging 17.7 points, 3.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 48.9% from three-point range.
Smith was the No. 21-rated player and a four-star recruit in 2027, per the industry’s ratings. ESPN listed Smith as a five-star recruit and the No. 11 player in the class. Meanwhile, 247Sports and Rivals had him ranked as a four-star recruit and No. 27 and No. 45, respectively. He has a $547,000 NIL valuation.
“LJ Smith is a confident guard, at his best when asked to score the basketball,” Rivals Jaime Shaw said in his scouting report of Smith. “He has range on his jump shot and a consistent release with a good base, able to make off-platform shots playing off movement. He has a solid handle and can get his team into sets or reinitiate the offense.
“There will be some questions defensively, but he has the tools to be at least solid in time,” Shaw continued. “But his thing is scoring, and as he polishes that aspect, learning his spots within the offense, that is where the intrigue remains.”
What Does LJ Smith’s Addition Mean For Ohio State Buckeyes In 2026
Smith is Diebler’s fourth high school recruit and eighth newcomer in this year’s cycle. Before Smith decided to reclassify, the Buckeyes’ 2026 class ranked 42nd in the nation by 247Sports.
Smith joins five-star forward Anthony Thompson, three-star forward Alex Smith, both Ohio natives, as incoming freshmen. Three-star 7-1 Serbian Vuk Lazarevic is the other member of their high school class. Justin Pippen (Cal) and Andrija Jelavic (Kentucky) are the Buckeyes’ top transfers. Curtis Givens III (Memphis) and Jimmie Williams (Detroit) are the other newcomers.
Those eight players join six returnees for Dieblier’s third season at the helm. Junior John Mobley Jr., who was one of the Big Ten’s best 3-point shooters last season, and sophomore Amre Bynum lead the returnees. Six-foot-10 redshirt senior Josh Ojuinwuma, who sat out all of last year while recovering from a knee injury, and Ivan Njegovan are also important returnees.
With 14 players on the roster, Diebler can add one more player. But the Buckeyes may decide not to do so. They started last year with 14 players, then added Puff Johnson late in the season. And Diebler seems pretty happy with the Buckeyes’ depth.
“I think this is the deepest team we’ve had, and I don’t know that it’s even close,” Diebler said during a press conference two weeks ago. “I love where our roster is. This roster is big, it’s versatile, it’s skilled, it’s smart.”
Ohio State is coming off a 21-13 camapign and an eighth-place (12-8) finish in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes, who made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2022, were ousted by TCU (66-64) in the first round.
Projecting The Buckeyes 2026 Depth
Guards
John Mobley Jr: Starter at the 2.
Justin Pippen: Starter at the 1.
Curtis Givens III: Backup point guard.
LJ Smith: Backup shooting guard
Jimmie Williams: Fifth guard
Braylen Nash: Developmental role
Myles Herro: Developmental role
Wings
Anthony Thompson: Starter at the 3
Jimmie Williams: Backup at the 3, if Diebler decides to go with a small ball lineup.
Alex Smith: Developmental role
Bigs
Amare Bynum: Starter at the 4.
Andrija Jelavic: Starter at the 5.
Josh Ojuinwuma: First big off the bench.
Ivan Njegovan: Depth
Vuk Lazarevic: Developmental role
Photo Credit: USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
