Five-Star Prospect, Ohio State Commit LJ Smith Reclassifies to 2026 Cycle

The Ohio State Buckeyes reached the NCAA Tournament in 2026, but are losing one of the team's stars to the NBA Draft.

Bruce Thornton, the team's leading scorer, has exhausted his eligibilty after a strong career in Columbus. Despite Thornton not being part of the team in 2026-27, the Buckeyes could have an even better roster heading into the upcoming campaign.

Ohio State retained John Mobley Jr., who averaged 15.7 points while shooting 41.1% from 3-point range on more than seven attempts per game, and added multiple high-profile recruits and transfers.

The Buckeyes added Justin Pippen, a transfer guard from California who averaged 14.2 points per game in 2025-26, and former Kentucky big man Andrija Jelavic.

From the high school ranks, Ohio State brought in Anthony Thompson, a five-star prospect who is rated the No. 7 overall player and No. 3 small forward in the 2026 recruiting class.

Head coach Jake Diebler's team already looked strong heading into the 2026-27 campaign, and on June 15, OSU added another talented prospect for the upcoming season. LJ Smith, another five-star recruit who was already committed to Ohio State, reclassified from the 2027 recruiting class to the 2026 cycle.

Breaking: L.J. Smith, the 5-star Ohio State commit and No. 11 ranked player in the SC Next 100 for the Class of 2027, will reclassify to 2026, he tells ESPN's @PaulBiancardi. pic.twitter.com/PqnakPFAQJ
— SportsCenter NEXT (@SCNext) June 15, 2026

With the move, Smith joins Thompson, Mobley, Jelavic, Pippen and the rest of the Buckeyes' roster to form what could be a contender in the Big Ten. Smith was rated the No. 25 overall prospect and No. 5 combo guard in the 2027 recruiting class by the 247Sports composite rankings prior to reclassifying.

Smith joins a few other notable prospects who have reclassified in recent years, including Jayden Quaintance, who will likely be a first-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, Jeremiah Fears, who was selected No. 7 overall in 2025 and earned Second Team All-Rookie recognition and Cooper Flagg, the top pick in the 2025 class and 2026 Rookie of the Year.

Smith's youth could make him a more enticing prospect in the NBA Draft if he performs well at Ohio State.

Listed at 6-foot-4 and 180 pounds, Smith attended Oak Hill Academy, the same school that produced NBA stars like Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant, Jerry Stackhouse and others.

According to The Columbus Dispatch, Smith averaged 33.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 3 assists per game as a sophomore at Lincolnton High School (NC) before transferring to Oak Hill.

Following a 21-13 2025-26 season that ended with a loss in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to TCU, Ohio State has bolstered its roster with multiple talented scoring guards.

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