Oregon Ducks Recruiting: Ranking Akili Smith Jr. Among Best Quarterbacks Recruits

Oregon Ducks commit Akili Smith Jr. is the highest-rated Duck quarterback in the class of 2025. Where does Smith rank among other quarterbacks in his class?

@Akilismithjr @DeannaGold /

The Oregon Ducks recruiting class of 2025 is currently ranked as the No. 12 class in the country. One of the Ducks' highly graded prospects is quarterback Akili Smith Jr.

Akili Smith Jr. Cracks Top 20 Quarterback Rankings

Akili Smith Jr. just edged into On3’s updated top 20 quarterback list for the class of 2025. Smith came in at No. 20, just behind the California Golden Bears’ commit Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele. 

Ranked No. 1 is LSU Tigers commit quarterback Bryce Underwood. Right behind him is Ohio State commit Tavern St. Clair. Another Big Ten team has the No. 7 player on the list. That would be USC Trojans commit Julian Lewis.

Akili Smith Jr. is a 6 foot 5, 200-pound quarterback with a cannon. 

247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins says Smith Jr. “has a very live arm…he can already make a lot of college-level throws…he has good deep ball accuracy.”

Biggins also adds, “he has one of the higher ceilings in this year’s class.”

Smith Jr. is a senior at Lincoln High School in San Diego, California. In the first four games this season, he has thrown for 967 yards and six touchdowns. In the previous two seasons as the starting quarterback, he tallied 4,863 passing yards and 54 passing touchdowns.

Smith has the physical attributes to be a great quarterback, but exceeding at that position is more than just being big and strong. Luckily for Smith Jr, he has someone very close to him that knows a thing or two about being a quarterback at Oregon.

Smith Jr. Following Father’s Footsteps

Oct 10, 1999; Cleveland, OH, USA; Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Akili Smith (11) throws in the pocket during the game against the Cleveland Browns at Paul Brown Stadium. The Bengals beat the Browns 18-17. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images / Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

Akili Smith Jr.'s commitment to Oregon in June was no surprise. 

Smith Jr.’s father, Akili Smith, is an Oregon Ducks legend. Smith was the Ducks starting quarterback from 1997-1998. In his last season at Oregon, Smith threw for 32 touchdowns and rushed for another 4. Oregon finished with a record of 8-4 this season and Smith was drafted No. 3 overall in the NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals. 

Smith Jr. will keep the family tradition going when he steps on campus next fall.

Ducks 2025 Recruiting Class

The Oregon Ducks have the No. 12 recruiting class nationally for the class of 2025 according to 247sports. The only Big Ten team ahead of the Ducks in the recruiting rankings is the Ohio State Buckeyes. The Buckeyes have the top overall class as of now. 

Oregon’s top-ranked commit is five-star wide receiver Dakorien Moore. The Ducks' other five-star commit is safety Trey McNutt. 

Coach Dan Lanning continues to keep Oregon as an attractive destination for top recruits. 

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