Indiana secured a commitment from in-state defensive lineman to bolster depth.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound standout from Franklin Community High School (Franklin, Ind.) is ranked as the No. 73 defensive lineman in the country, according to the On3 Industry average.
He chose IU over five other finalists: Purdue, Wisconsin, Illinois, Louisville, and Michigan State.
Indiana extended an offer to Smythe in January, and he made several visits to the school, including for the 66-0 victory over Purdue in November.
He is expected to play along the interior of the defensive line under the guidance of assistant coach Pat Kuntz.
Smythe will be a legacy player at IU. His grandfather Mark Smythe played for the Hoosiers from 1979-83. He was a team captain and went on to play in the NFL. His father played college football as well.
“I feel like they have a great thing going and (it’s great) to keep the Smythe legacy in Bloomington,” he told On3’s Steve Wiltfong.
As a junior in 2024, Smythe recorded 96 tackles, including 13 for loss, along with 5.5 sacks and three pass breakups. He earned first-team all-conference honors and was named to the 5A IFCA Junior All-State team. In addition to his work on defense, Smythe also plays along the offensive line and participates in baseball at Franklin.
You can check out Smythe’s junior season highlights below.
With this commitment, Indiana now has seven players in its rapidly growing 2026 class. Smythe becomes the second interior defensive lineman and second player from Indiana to join the class. He will be part of the following group of recruits heading to Bloomington next year:
Henry Ohlinger, Columbus, Ohio, LB/RB (4-star)
Kasmir Hicks, Indianapolis, Indiana, CB/WR (3-star)
Jay Timmons, Gibsonia, Pennsylvania, DB (3-star)
Sam Simpson, River Falls, Wisconsin, IOL (3-star)
Jacob Savage, Union, Kentucky, LB (3-star)
Rodney White, Towson, Maryland, DL (3-star)
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