Three-star 2021 cornerback Devonta Smith, a senior from Cincinnati La Salle High School, announced via Twitter that he has decommitted from Ohio State.
Respect My Decision!! #AGTG pic.twitter.com/iQga0LbUlb
— Devonta Smith (@Prince_Tay_) June 25, 2020
Smith committed to Ohio State on March 16, just two days after being offered by Kerry Coombs and only a few weeks after he was offered by Alabama and Oregon. His commitment was part of the Buckeyes' three-day run in which it landed four junior commitments, and Smith's pledge came less than 24 hours after four-star cornerback Jakailin Johnson committed.
Communication between Smith and Ohio State, though, had lessened over the past few weeks, and Smith decided to part ways with the Buckeyes.
In addition to best friend and La Salle teammate Jaylen Johnson, a three-star defensive back/outside linebacker commit, already being in the fold in the Buckeyes' class, the main reason Smith joined the class was due to Coombs and his Cincinnati connection. Coombs attended Colerain High School and grew up around the same neighborhood as Smith.
Lets just clear the air I could have stayed if I wanted my family and I did what was best dont trust everything yall hear....
— Devonta Smith (@Prince_Tay_) June 25, 2020
But now, Coombs will be looking to replace the nation's 30th-ranked cornerback and No. 400-ranked overall player who is ranked as the 12th-best junior in the state of Ohio.
Not including Jaylen Johnson, the Buckeyes are now down to four defensive back commits in the 2021 class with Jakailin Johnson, Andre Turrentine, Denzel Burke and Jantzen Dunn still in the fold. Ohio State still has the No. 1-ranked class in the country, though its point total has dropped from 301.15 points to 298.06 points.
| NAME | POSITION | OVERALL RANKING | POSITION RANKING | DATE OF COMMITMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JACK SAWYER | DE | No. 3 | No. 3 | FEBRUARY 3, 2019 |
| KYLE MCCORD | QB | No. 24 | No. 3 (PRO-STYLE) | APRIL 30, 2019 |
| JAYDEN BALLARD | WR | No. 49 | No. 5 | JUNE 21, 2019 |
| BEN CHRISTMAN | OG | No. 114 | No. 6 | JUNE 26, 2019 |
| REID CARRICO | LB | No. 69 | No. 2 (ILB) | SEPTEMBER 10, 2019 |
| MARVIN HARRISON JR. | WR | No. 89 | No. 14 | OCTOBER 31, 2019 |
| SAM HART | TE | No. 379 | No. 16 | DECEMBER. 30, 2019 |
| JAYLEN JOHNSON | S | No. 350 | No. 23 | JANUARY 7, 2020 |
| DONOVAN JACKSON | OG | No. 21 | No. 1 | JANUARY 8, 2020 |
| MIKE HALL | DT | No. 55 | No. 5 | FEBRUARY 1, 2020 |
| JAKAILIN JOHNSON | CB | No. 43 | No. 4 | MARCH 15, 2020 |
| EVAN PRYOR | APB | No. 85 | No. 2 | MARCH 16, 2020 |
| ANDRE TURRENTINE | S | No. 139 | No. 4 | MARCH 17, 2020 |
| TREVEYON HENDERSON | RB | No. 16 | No. 1 | MARCH 27, 2020 |
| TUNMISE ADELEYE | SDE | No. 32 | No. 4 | APRIL 15, 2020 |
| JANTZEN DUNN | S | No. 202 | No. 11 | APRIL 20, 2020 |
| JESSE MIRCO | P | N/A | N/A | MAY 6, 2020 |
| DENZEL BURKE | ATH | No. 178 | No. 7 (ATH) | MAY 24, 2020 |
Smith was the lowest-ranked commit in the class, not including punter Jesse Mirco, who does not yet have a player rating. With Smith's decommitment, the Buckeyes' average player rating is up to 95.71, which is a jump from their previous mark of 95.30.
