On Monday, four-star quarterback Akili Smith Jr. announced his commitment to Oregon football's 2025 recruiting class, following his father's footsteps in a move that he tells Greg Biggins of 247Sports that he always wanted to make.

“I've always wanted to go to Oregon,” Smith says. “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.”

In college, the elder Akili Smith had his best season in 1998, as he led the Oregon Ducks to an 8-3 record while throwing 32 touchdowns and tacking on another four touchdowns on the ground. His impressive performance led to him being named an All-American and the 1998 Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year in just his second season, and eventually the No. 3 pick in the 1999, where he would be selected by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Unfortunately, his pro career didn't play out as expected, as his processing abilities were routinely questioned. As Smith never had an NFL season in which he threw for more touchdowns than interceptions and had a career completion rate of 46.6 percent, those critiques would seem to be well-deserved.

Nonetheless, his son — ranked No. 6 in the nation among quarterbacks in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports Composite Rankings — could redeem his namesake. Last season, the younger Smith threw for 2,432 yards and 29 touchdowns to just four interceptions while leading Lincoln High School to a 13-1 record and a state championship.