Men’s Basketball: 2026 recruit Alex Smith commits to Ohio State

Ohio State’s next potential hometown hero has committed to being a Buckeye basketball player.

Alex Smith, a forward in the class of 2026 out of Upper Arlington High School in Columbus, announced his commitment to Ohio State via a Monday X post .

Smith received offers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, DePaul University, Indiana University and six other Ohio schools, but chose to stay closest to home and complete his lifelong dream of being a Buckeye, according to a Monday article from Eleven Warriors.

According to the article , Smith secured an offer from the Buckeyes June 17 after participating in Ohio State’s early-summer recruiting camps.

The 6-foot-9, 195-pound Smith is currently unranked, according to 247 Sports . Rankings, however, are subject to change.

Smith is the second commit for the Buckeyes in the class of 2026, joining five-star point guard Marcus Johnson out of Garfield Heights, Ohio. Looking ahead, Ohio State is expected to fill one more slot in the class of 2026.