Erick Smith

Erick Smith issued an oral commitment to Ohio State during the second quarter of Saturday's U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Smith became the 20th commitment in the Buckeyes's 2014 recruiting class.

(Ari Wasserman)

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – Erick Smith’s recruitment followed the typical Glenville route. There were smokescreens and mixed signals, a variety of visits and a long wait for programs to learn his eventual college destination.

But like so many Glenville prospects before him, Smith eventually arrived at a familiar destination – Ohio State.

A four-star prospect rated by Rivals.com the No. 11 safety in the 2014 recruiting class, Smith announced his commitment to the Buckeyes during the second quarter of the U.S. Army All-American Bowl on Saturday afternoon.

Smith, who chose Ohio State over Alabama, Kentucky and Michigan, became Ohio State’s 20th oral commitments in a 2014 class that is quickly approaching capacity. The Buckeyes, however, hope to have 21 commitments within the next few hours.

That’s because Smith’s teammate, four-star athlete Marshon Lattimore, is schedule to announce his college decision in the fourth quarter of the game. Lattimore is choosing between Alabama and Ohio State, and it is expected that he’ll join Smith and offensive tackle Marcelys Jones – another Glenville prospect – in the Buckeyes' 2014 class.

Smith almost decided not to announce his decision Saturday, but he said he sat down and spoke with Lattimore. Smith may have ruined the suspense for where Lattimore will commit later this afternoon.

"Me and Marshon talked, that's my guy, we always had a dream playing together," Smith said. "Better to do it at home than anywhere else."

These

, a three-part series that detailed the Ohio State’s head-to-head recruiting battle with Alabama, which took place in Cleveland at Glenville.