Nation's No. 11 EDGE Recruit Snubs Two Major College Football Programs

These two college football programs came short in their recruitment of the No. 11 defensive end prospect in the class of 2027.

Dec 6, 2025; Arlington, TX, USA; A view of a tv camera and the ESPN college football logo before the game between the Texas Tech Red Raiders and the BYU Cougars at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

College football programs across the country continue to stockpile top talent for their 2027 recruiting classes in mid-May of the 2026 offseason.

The majority of prospects in the class will take official visits to the schools they find most appealing at the end of May and throughout June. A large number of prospects opted to commit to their future school before taking their official visits.

One of the newest commitments in the class came from four-star defensive end Wyatt Smith, who announced his pledge to Ohio State on Sunday. The 6-foot-6, 240-pounder from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, ranks as the No. 11 defensive end, No. 8 prospect in Florida, and No. 79 overall prospect in the class of 2027, according to Rivals.

In his first two seasons of varsity football at St. Thomas Aquinas High School, Smith logged 131 tackles, 26 tackles for loss, 14 tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles and fumble recoveries. Smith comes from an NFL lineage; his father, Justin Smith, played seven seasons each with the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers from 2001-14.

247Sports director of scouting Andrew Ivins referred to Smith as a "throwback defensive end with exceptional size and exceptional testing metrics" and said he is the "type of prospect where it's clear his best football is still ahead of him even after he took a major step forward from his sophomore and junior seasons" in a scouting report from February.

With Smith's addition, the Buckeyes now hold a pair of commitments from coveted defensive end prospects in the class of 2027. Five-star defensive end David Jacobs committed to Ohio State on Dec. 29, 2025.

The Buckeyes had to fight off other Power Four competition in order to secure Smith's commitment. Hayes Fawcett of Rivals reported that two other programs were in the mix to land Smith before he made his decision.

Indiana

The reigning national champions were a late entry into the race for Smith, offering him a scholarship at the tail end of April. Because of their late offer, the Hoosiers did not make their way onto Smith's list of official visits.

Indiana's 2027 recruiting class is still taking shape, sitting at just six commitments in the middle of May. On defense, the Hoosiers hold pledges from a linebacker, a cornerback and a safety, the second of which ranks as a four-star prospect.

Missouri

Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz talks with an official against the Virginia Cavaliers during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. | Travis Register-Imagn Images

The Tigers were the lone SEC program fighting for Smith's commitment down the stretch. They understood the importance of landing a legacy prospect; Justin Smith played for the Tigers from 1998-2000 before embarking on his NFL career.

Defensive end is a position Missouri has not landed a recruit at since four-star Javion Hilson in the 2025 cycle. The Tigers currently hold commitments from a pair of linebackers and a safety, all of which rank as three-star prospects in the class of 2027.