Wyatt Smith | St. Thomas Aquinas DE Commits to Ohio State | Class of 2027

One afternoon during spring practice in 2025, Michael Irvin was watching the St. Thomas Aquinas Raiders go through their drills. The Hall of Fame wide receiver still visits his alma mater from time to time, and on this particular day, a defensive end caught his attention. He pulled Wyatt Smith aside and told him he had "that dog" in him—and that he wanted him to wear his number, 88.

Smith took the charge seriously. The 2027 prospect went on to break the program's all-time tackle record and finished his junior season with 155 tackles and 13 sacks, helping the Raiders claim their seventh consecutive Florida state championship and 17th in program history. He wore No. 88 throughout.

The physical transformation played a role. Smith arrived for his junior year three inches taller and roughly 30 pounds heavier than the season before, the product of a growth spurt and consistent work in the weight room. But his coaches point to something less measurable as the bigger factor. "He's a student of the game," his coach said. "He enjoys constructive criticism and values opinion. That's how his dad raised him—evolve and create solutions."

His dad is Justin Smith, a former All-American at Missouri who spent 14 seasons as a defensive end with the Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers. The elder Smith has served as trainer and mentor throughout Wyatt's development, instilling a standard of effort that his son describes as simply ingrained. Wyatt relocated from Columbia, Missouri to South Florida before high school, drawn by the level of competition the state offers.

He found that competition every day at Aquinas practice, where he regularly lines up against five-star offensive lineman Mark Matthews. The two have pushed each other into becoming elite prospects. "Iron sharpens iron," Matthews said. "Best against the best." Their coach believes the dynamic between the two has been foundational to both players' growth.

Smith has committed to Ohio State, where the Buckeyes' coaching staff has already compared him to Joey Bosa—another Aquinas product who went on to become a top NFL draft pick after starring in Columbus. For Smith, the comparison carries weight, but so does the program's track record of developing pass rushers. "I saw what they did with every DE that came out of there," he said. "If he can do it, I can do it."

St. Thomas Aquinas has sent the likes of Nick and Joey Bosa, Asante Samuel Jr., and Michael Irvin to the professional ranks. Wyatt Smith is building the kind of junior résumé that puts him squarely in that conversation.