Ohio State's two talented class of 2026 basketball commitments are officially Buckeyes.
On Wednesday, five-star small forward Anthony Thompson and four-star power forward Alex Smith signed their scholarship agreements with Ohio State.
Thompson is the No. 8 overall prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings and the No. 2 small forward. A gifted left-handed scorer, he was dynamite facing fellow elite talent on the Adidas 3Stripes Circuit this past summer, averaging 22 points per game on 53% shooting, 39% from 3-point range. He added 1.9 blocks per game. Thompson is the fourth-highest-rated prospect in the history of the composite to commit to Ohio State, trailing only Greg Oden, B.J. Mullens and Jared Sullinger.
Buckeye nation, introducing Anthony Thompson #GoBucks | @ant_thompson26 https://t.co/X33i1NneIc pic.twitter.com/FwkloBuur9
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 12, 2025
Smith committed to Ohio State more than a year ago, fulfilling his dream of wearing Scarlet and Gray after growing up in Ohio. His stock has skyrocketed since that time, going from unranked in the composite rankings for his class to No. 145 overall and No. 25 at power forward. He transferred from local Upper Arlington High School to Fort Lauderdale, Florida's Prolific Prep ahead of his 2025-26 senior season after averaging 19.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game as a junior at UA in 2024-25.
Introducing Alex Smith#GoBucks | @alexx_smith26 https://t.co/qib4zTfiHJ pic.twitter.com/XQ3gxq9mIg
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 12, 2025
Both Smith and Thompson hail from Ohio, as Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler has worked to keep the best talent in-state. Despite holding just two commitments, the Buckeyes hold the No. 31-ranked class in the composite on Early Signing Day. They are 11th among teams with two or fewer signees.
