4-star athlete Octavian Smith Jr. commits to Maryland

Mike Locksley locked up an impressive local recruit on Day 1 of the Early Signing Period.

Four-star athlete Octavian Smith Jr. (Silver Spring, MD) committed to Maryland. Smith is regarded as the nation’s No. 13 athlete and the No. 6 player from Maryland for the Class of 2022, according to the 247Sports Composite.

A nice get for Mike Locksley. Four-star athlete Octavian Smith Jr. commits to Maryland.

Before this week, Maryland only had one four-star player in its signing class. Now there are four. https://t.co/LKIcD65l37

— Emily Giambalvo (@EmilyGiam) December 15, 2021

The moment Octavian revealed his public decision pic.twitter.com/8K175PYs6T

— Ahmed Ghafir (@ghafirtheturtle) December 15, 2021

The 6-foot, 170-pound Smith selected Maryland over an offer from fellow B1G program Northwestern amongst others. Smith will offer tremendous versatility for Maryland, as he’s capable of playing either wide receiver or defensive back.

Smith expressed that remaining near his family was a primary factor in becoming a Terp.

“I realized that’s home,” Smith Jr. said to 247Sports. “I went there and felt real comfortable. Nothing seemed forced. Everything seemed genuine. Me and my family, we felt as though we fit right in. The coaching staff there reminds me a lot of the coaching staff I have here at (Paint Branch H.S.).”