Quarterback Akili Smith Jr., a top-100 recruit in the Class of 2025, announced his commitment to Oregon on Monday. He is following in the footsteps of his father, Akili Smith Sr., who was the 1998 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year while leading the Ducks to an 8-4 record. The elder Smith was also the No. 3 overall pick in the 1999 NFL Draft.
"I've always wanted to go to Oregon," Smith told 247Sports of his decision. "Ever since I was young, that's all my dad had me wearing, Oregon gear and watching Oregon football. Saying all that, it was still a business decision for me and my dad really didn't push me to pick Oregon. He wanted this to be my decision and I looked at a few other schools really hard. When I evaluated everyone equally, Oregon was the best option for me."
The 6-foot-5 and 200-pound Smith Jr. ranks as the No. 62 prospect nationally and No. 5 quarterback for his class. He is the fourth player to commit to Oregon coach Dan Lanning and join the Ducks' 2025 recruiting class, which now ranks third in the 247Sports Team rankings.
Smith also plays basketball for San Diego's Lincoln High School. He was on Oregon's campus over the weekend for its "Saturday Night Live" recruiting event.
"I wanted to commit early for a couple of reasons," Smith said. "One, I knew Oregon was the place for me so I wanted to lock in my spot and not have to worry about recruiting any more. I want to start building this recruiting class and start talking to other players in my class. I liked Florida and Michigan a lot, I visited both schools but I really didn't see anyone beating out Oregon. I know coach Lanning isn't going anywhere. He just signed a new deal and coaching stability is a huge thing for me. Once I saw that, I knew there was no need for me to wait on this."
