Cornerback Devonta Smith Decommits from Ohio State, will Reopen Recruitment

Three-star DB from Cincinnati reopens his recruitment after committing to Buckeyes in March.

Ohio State and its top-ranked 2021 recruiting class seemingly lost a defensive back Thursday afternoon, as Cincinnati (La Sale HS) product Devonta Smith announced he would be decommitting.

Smith, rated as a three-star prospect by both Rivals and the 247Sports industry-generated composite rankings, officially reopens his recruitment after initially committing to the Buckeyes back on March 16.

The 6-0, 185-pound cornerback is rated No. 400 nationally but still a top-12 target in the state of Ohio. He had more than 30 scholarship offers prior to his OSU decision that included powerhouses Alabama, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon and more. The Crimson Tide now seem to be the favorite.

Smith had grown close with Ohio State defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs, who had a significant impact throughout the recruitment process, and committed to the Buckeyes just a week after receiving his scholarship offer.

Smith was a third team All-Ohio selection last year for Cincinnati La Salle, earning GCL South All-Purpose Player of the Year honors playing both ways. He posted 38 tackles and three interceptions to go along with 271 receiving yards and five TD’s on the offensive side.

The Buckeyes are not necessarily lacking for defensive backs in the 2021 class, but is certainly not happy with likelihood of Smith flipping. Smith’s teammate, safety Jaylen Johnson, is also committed to Ohio State along with Jakailin Johnson (DB), Denzel Burke (DB), Andre Turrentine (S) and athlete Jantzen Dunn, who likely projects on defense at the next level.

The OSU staff apparently did not fight Smith much on his reversal, understanding they still have a legit chance to secure top safety Derrick Davis Jr. and potentially even Jordan Hancock, who has been rumored to be considering flipping from Clemson.

The top 2021 cornerback, Tony Grimes, is also set to announce his decision next Tuesday and has Ohio State listed among his top-four schools. North Carolina appears to be the favorite there for Grimes.

Stay tuned to BuckeyesNow and all of our social media outlets (@BuckeyesNowSI) on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for continued coverage!