Oregon lands son of ex-Ducks QB fantastic A
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Tom VanHaaren, ESPN Staff WriterJul 31, 2023, 03:59 PM ET Close ESPN staff author Joined ESPN in 2011
- Graduated from Central Michigan
Oregon got a dedication from 2025 quarterback Akili Smith Jr. on Monday, the No. 82 prospect in general in his class.That name ought to
sound familiar to Ducks fans, as his daddy, Akili Smith, played quarterback for Oregon in the late 1990s and threw for 3,763 backyards and 32 touchdowns in 1998. Smith was taken 3rd in the 1999 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals and is now seeing his boy follow in his footsteps.Editor’s Picks
1 Related Smith Jr. is a 6-foot-6, 210-pound quarterback from Lincoln High School in San Diego and is the No. 1 dual-threat quarterback in the 2025 cycle.Despite being a
increasing junior, Smith Jr. had actually currently gotten offers from Oregon, Michigan, Florida, Washington, Colorado and a handful of other schools. This past season Smith Jr. tossed for 2,432 yards, 29 goals and four interceptions as a sophomore.His dedication
gives the Ducks four total commitments in the 2025 cycle, 3 of which are ranked in the ESPN Junior 300. Receiver Dallas Wilson is ranked No. 33 total and Adrian Wilson is the No. 182 prospect in the class.Coach Dan Lanning
and his personnel are on an excellent stretch of quarterback recruiting, landing ESPN 300 quarterback Austin Novosad in the 2023 class, ESPN 300 signal-caller Michael Van Buren and four-star Luke Moga in 2024, and now Smith in the 2025 class.