Ohio State suffered its first decommitment in the class of 2021 on Thursday afternoon when Cincinnati La Salle three-star cornerback Devonta Smith announced on Twitter he was reopening his recruitment.
Respect My Decision!! #AGTG pic.twitter.com/iQga0LbUlb
— 🥀Devonta Smith🥀 (@Prince_Tay_) June 25, 2020
The 6-0, 185-pound Smith — who is considered the 30th-best cornerback and No. 400 prospect overall — landed an offer from defensive coordinator Kerry Coombs on March 12 and pledged his services to the Buckeyes just four days later. He picked Ohio State over offers from Alabama, Cincinnati, Notre Dame, Michigan State, Minnesota, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and West Virginia.
Smith was just the third defensive back to commit to Ohio State this cycle, joining St. Louis De Smet Jesuit four-star Jakailin Johnson and his cousin/teammate, three-star safety Jaylen Johnson. The Buckeyes have since added Nashville Ensworth four-star safety Andre Turrentine; Bowling Green (Ky.) South Warren four-star safety Jantzen Dunn; and Scottsdale (Ariz.) Saguaro four-star cornerback Denzel Burke, which will help them reload the roster since Marcus Williamson will graduate and Shaun Wade, Sevyn Banks and Cameron Brown are all eligible to enter the NFL draft following the 2020 season.
With Smith’s departure, Ohio State will only ramp up its pursuit of Virginia Beach (Va.) Princess Anne five-star cornerback Tony Grimes, Clemson four-star cornerback commit Jordan Hancock and Monroeville (Pa.) Gateway four-star safety Derrick Davis. Grimes is set to make his college decision later this month, while the Buckeyes will continue to try and flip Hancock from his pledge. Davis, meanwhile, plans to take all five official visits before announcing his own commitment.
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