Oregon Ducks land top 2025 QB recruit over Michigan and Florida

There's, of course, still a long way to go before Smith Jr. is playing college football, but he attended one of Oregon's football camps over the weekend and it seems like things up in Eugene were more than impressive enough to get him to make an early commitment.

“I think the environment and the real family aspect that they preach at Oregon. It feels like everyone is really closely knitted and always working together to achieve one common goal. And I want to be a part of that," Smith Jr. told On3 when asked why he committed to Oregon.

“I love my relationship with the coaches. I have a good relationship with coach [Dan] Lanning, coach [Jordan] Salkin, and coach [Will] Stein. But if I had to say which one was the closest I’d say, coach Stein. He was the first coach that was recruiting me and has been a constant presence during this whole entire recruiting process," Smith said of Oregon's quarterback coach and offensive coordinator. "His plan is to build around me and hopefully build a class strong enough to contend for a national championship."

Head coach Dan Lanning is building something special as he enters his second season at Oregon. He went 10-3 in 2022 and then finished the 2023 recruiting cycle with a Top 10 class. Regarding the 2025 class, Lanning is already off to a very hot start. With the addition of Smith Jr., not only do the Ducks have their potential quarterback of the future, but they've also added to a class that is currently Top 5 in the early 2025 rankings.

At 6-foot-5, 200 pounds, Smith Jr. is ranked as the No. 5 quarterback in the 2025 recruiting class as well as the 62nd-best recruit nationally, according to 247Sports.

Florida and Michigan were also in the running for his commitment.