4-Star 2024 DL Jerod Smith Commits to Michigan Over Kentucky, Others

Smith's commitment to lead to the same decision from his twin brother, who's also a 4-star in the 2024 class

On Tuesday evening, Jerod Smith, a 4-star defensive lineman in the 2024 class out of Cheshire Academy in Cheshire, Conn., announced his commitment to play for coach Jim Harbaugh and the Michigan Wolverines.

AGTG🙏🏿 Ann Arbor I’m Home 〽️@Hayesfawcett3 @Coach_Mella pic.twitter.com/6eKo50vPfb

— Jerod Smith (@Jerodsmith44) April 25, 2023

Kentucky has made a chopped list for the No. 316 overall player and No. 28 DL in the class, but it was clear that Michigan had the lead in his recruitment, so the commitment to the maize and blue is no surprise. For Kentucky, it now has to hope that the decision doesn't influence Jerod's twin brother, Jacob. 

On April 23, Jacob, a 4-star EDGE, announced his top six schools, which includes both the Wildcats and Wolverines, as well as Georgia, Alabama, Notre Dame and Nebraska. He's ranked as the No. 226 overall player and No. 17 EDGE in the class, per the On3 Consensus.

It's the Fighting Irish that appear to have a lead in Jacob's recruitment with Kentucky behind, but the brothers have also said in the past that they felt they would play for the same school. That bodes well for Michigan, but not UK and defensive coordinator Brad White, who's leading the recruitment in Lexington. 

Both have taken three unofficial visits to Kentucky, with the most recent coming on Jan. 28. With Jerod off the board, the Cats will have to try and turn up the heat if they wish to land the higher-ranked twin.

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Devin Leary discusses his decision to transfer to Kentucky HERE.

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Want the latest on national football and basketball recruiting, including Cats targets? Head over to SI All-American for the latest news, blogs, and updates about the nation's best prospects.

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