L’Christian “Blue” Smith, one of the top prospects in the state of Ohio, will be announcing his college choice on Sunday.
It’s a two-horse race between Ohio State and Kentucky. Kentucky was once thought to be the favorite, but as Ohio State has increased their efforts to land Smith and reportedly told him that he would play wide receiver instead of tight end for the Buckeyes, all the momentum has swung toward Smith’s home state school.
Currently ranked 29th overall in 2018 by Rivals, Smith could become one of, if not the highest-ranked pledge Kentucky has ever had. Getting that, however, will require the Cats to pull off what would be a pretty significant upset.
Smith’s Crystal Ball currently shows 94 percent for Ohio State and 6 percent for Kentucky, however, Rivals analyst Josh Helmholdt told the Lexington Herald-Leader he wouldn’t be surprised if Smith still ended up picking Kentucky. However, he said he still believes Smith will land in Columbus.
“Oh yeah, I don’t have enough intel to tell me he’s for sure going to Ohio State,” Helmholdt acknowledged. “It’s certainly been nip and tuck. Even Ohio State people aren’t going to say that, over the last five months, it’s been all Ohio State.
“It’s been a back and forth battle. So, it would not surprise me if he went with (UK) on Sunday. I don’t expect it. But, it wouldn’t surprise me.”
It is very difficult to go into Ohio and pull away a recruit that the Buckeyes really want, Helmholdt said, but Kentucky’s coaches have built a strong relationship with Smith and he is close to other Kentucky commits, including defensive end Alex Reigelsperger, who is also from Ohio.
So all signs are pointing toward Smith staying home to play for the Buckeyes, but we gathered the staff here at A Sea of Blue to predict where they think Smith will commit.
James Streble
The fact that Blue Smith, an Ohio native and a top 50 recruit, has Kentucky in his final two is a win for the program. Mark Stoops let it be knowing on Day 1 of his tenure that the coaching staff will not be afraid to go up against the big boys of college football for recruits. As Vince Marrow has made Ohio his home state for recruiting, it was a no brainer that Smith would be one of Kentucky's #1 targets.
Blue Smith is a fantastic athlete and would be a great addition to the receiving corps. Luckily there is a great deal of young talent at that position already (Joshua Ali, Clevan Thomas, etc...) so if the 'Cats miss out on Smith it's not that big of a deal.
But if he did decide to commit, it would be a game changer for Kentucky. To go toe-to-toe with Urban Meyer for a top prospect from his state and win would send shockwaves throughout college football and would continue to establish Kentucky as a real threat in Ohio.
Unfortunately all of the signs are pointing to a commitment to Ohio State and that is where I think he goes.
Andrew Galayda
L'Christian "Blue" Smith is a difference maker on offense. At 6'5", the wideout is known for his reliable hands and playmaking ability. If Blue were to choose UK, he could potientally change the face of the Cats offense. BBN would drool to see Smith play alongside freshman playmaker Lynn Bowden in the next year.
L'Christian, like myself, is from the Buckeye state, where Ohio State has been viewed as the favorite to land his services. Ultimately, I believe Blue decides to head east on I-70 and play for Ohio State next year. An offer from Urban Meyer is similar to an offer from Coach Cal as scholarships are only offered to a select group.
Prediction: Ohio State
Jason Marcum
Kentucky fought valiantly just to stay in the think of Blue Smith’s recruitment. Going into Ohio and landing one of the Buckeyes’ top targets is one of the most difficult recruiting challenges a school can face.
Mark Stoops and his staff took the challenge head on, and they made a strong run at landing the game-breaking receiver. However, the home powerhouse should hold off the upstart Cats for this one. Even being the second-place team in this race is a small victory for Stoops, who continues to go head-to-head with the best schools for the top recruits.
Prediction: Ohio State
Jamie Boggs
Adding Blue Smith next year, and putting him in the mix with Lynn Bowden, would take Kentucky's offensive to a level we have not seen since Stevie Johnson got loose against Louisville. The 4-star wide receiver would change a lot about what Kentucky is able to do with the football, and he would stretch the defense to allow Benny Snell to do his thing.
It seems like this is a two man race for Smith between Kentucky and Ohio State. Vince Marrow has been doing this thing, but Ohio State has come on strong as of late and seems to have conceded that Smith could play wide receiver instead of converting to tight end. If that is the case, the Buckeyes would have to be viewed as the favorite.
When Blue Smith announces his decision on Sunday, I think he commits to Ohio State. However, I think Kentucky will still have a chance right up until the signing deadline.
Prediction: Ohio State