When you know you know. And Will Smith Jr. knew.

The 2023 three-star defensive tackle announced Sunday his commitment to Ohio State, choosing the Buckeyes over programs like Notre Dame, Wake Forest and Boston College.

For Smith, the commitment makes sense.

He's the son of former Oho State defensive end Will Smith, who played for the Buckeyes from 2000-03 and helped them win a national championship.

However, for Ohio State, this says more about its approach for the 2023 class.

In the 2022 class, the Buckeyes did not record its first defensive line commit until October 2021, securing four-star defensive end Kenyatta Jackson Jr.

As Signing Day nears, Ohio State secured four defensive linemen — three defensive ends in Jackson, Caden Curry and Omari Abor, and defensive tackle Hero Kanu — in the span of four months.

While Smith was a legacy and was one Ohio State knew it had a good shot with, this shows the focus of the 2023 class is on what Ohio State had to finalize late in the 2022 class, providing even more depth than it had originally for a position that has a level of turnover year after year.

Smith is the third member of Ohio State's 2023 recruiting class and the second from Ohio. The Dublin Coffman defensive tackle joins four-star athlete Cedrick Hawkins, four-star offensive lineman Joshua Padilla and four-star tight end Ty Lockwood in the class.

Smith is the No. 22 player in the 2023 class from Ohio.