2025 4-star QB Akili Smith Jr. ready to get back to Oregon

San Diego (Calif.) Lincoln four-star quarterback Akili Smith Jr., son of former Oregon and NFL quarterback Akili Smith, will get the chance to return to Eugene as he heads north on another visit to see the Ducks.

“It feels great just to be back in the environment that my dad grew me up around,” Smith told On3. “It’s just amazing being back and seeing all the greenery and Oregon obviously. And just seeing all the fans and the environment of the school. It’s just great being back. Obviously seeing the coaches out there, they’ve got some amazing coaches that have just been talking to me and keeping in touch. It’s been going pretty good, I’m excited to be back out there.”

Right now, one of Smith’s primary goals is to continue to grow the relationship between himself and Oregon offensive coordinator Will Stein. Stein comes to Eugene from UTSA, where he put together one of the nation’s most electric offenses each of the last two seasons.

“Probably just to receive some coaching from Will Stein just to see if everything is what he’s talking about,” Smith said about goals for the visit. “Because he’s talked about some really good stuff on the phone. Obviously, he talked about some football stuff, some stuff with Oregon and what they do with their NIL. Just a whole bunch of stuff about the school. So it’s just going pretty good, I want to see how his coaching style is and how everything is going out there. And then see what it’s like and maybe make a decision.”

Oregon’s coaches bring the energy

The early impression for Smith is that this staff in Eugene has no shortage of energy. Stein and head coach Dan Lanning are still in their 30s, and Smith echoed a popular sentiment about how their youth contributes to a positive environment.

“He has a lot of energy, he’s super excited,” Smith said about Stein. “He’s just a young coach looking to win a lot of games. That’s exactly what I love.

“Coach Lanning has a lot of energy, it’s amazing,” Smith continued. “He’s a good guy. He knows what he’s talking about obviously on defense, being around Georgia and their defensive style and background. He also is just a player’s coach. He likes to talk with the players, make sure they have everything that they need. It’s going pretty good, I love what I’m hearing and seeing.”

Smith Jr’s recruitment remains wide-open

WIth his dad’s history at Oregon, many figure that Smith Jr. will likely follow in his footsteps. The Ducks currently hold a commanding lead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine (RPM).

Even with that early lead in the RPM, Smith Jr. said that his recruitment at the moment isn’t so cut and dry.

“I’m open in my recruitment,” Smith Jr. said. “I want to make sure that everyone has a chance to recruitment me and I’m going to make sure that I’m talking to everyone and give them all a chance. My recruitment’s 100% open and I can’t wait to be recruited by coaches.”

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