Akili Smith Jr. following in his father's footsteps, commits to Oregon

The son of former Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Akili Smith committed to the same college his father attended.

Akili Smith Jr., ranked as the No. 6 quarterback in the nation by the 247Sports composite rankings in the class of 2025, picked Oregon on Monday.

The elder Smith, who the Bengals picked No. 3 in the 1999 NFL Draft, played two seasons for the Ducks after attending Grossmont College. He threw for over 5,000 yards and 45 touchdowns during his time in college.

Smith played with the Bengals from 1999-2002, appearing in only 22 games where he threw five touchdowns against 13 interceptions and also had 13 fumbles.

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Smith Jr., a 6-5, 200 pounder from Lincoln High School in San Diego, told 247Sports:

“I’ve always wanted to go to Oregon. Ever since I was young, that’s all my dad had me wearing, Oregon gear and watching Oregon football.

“Saying all that, it was still a business decision for me and my dad really didn’t push me to pick Oregon. He wanted this to be my decision and I looked at a few other schools really hard. When I evaluated everyone equally, Oregon was the best option for me.”

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As a sophomore, Smith Jr. threw for 2,432 yards, 29 touchdowns and four interceptions.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Former Bengals QB Akili Smith's son commits to Oregon football