Alex Smith is still a year out from beginning his freshman season at Ohio State, but he’s already making major moves ahead of his final year of high school.
On Tuesday, Smith announced that he will transfer to Prolific Prep for his senior season. The standout guard spent his first three years at Upper Arlington High School, just minutes from Ohio State’s campus.
“I’ve decided to transfer to @ProlificPrep for my senior season,” Smith wrote on social media. “Thank you, Upper Arlington, for everything — I will forever be a Golden Bear. I’m ready to start a new chapter in my book!”
Alex Smith, a 6-foot-9 forward known for his versatile skill set—combining ball-handling, shooting, passing, and defending—is making headlines before even stepping onto campus at Ohio State.
As a junior at Upper Arlington High School, Smith averaged 19.8 points on 49.3% shooting, along with 6.3 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1.7 blocks per game. His all-around play was instrumental in leading the Golden Bears to the Division I regional tournament. His performance earned him several honors for the 2024–25 season, including first-team All-OCC-Central, second-team all-district, and third-team all-state.
Smith committed to Ohio State on September 2, 2024, choosing the Buckeyes over offers from Cincinnati, Indiana, Nebraska, and Xavier. At the time of his commitment, he was an unranked prospect. Since then, his stock has soared—he is now rated a four-star recruit, ranked No. 19 among power forwards, No. 7 overall in Ohio, and No. 138 nationally in the 2026 recruiting class, per 247Sports.
Before transferring, Smith made one final appearance with his Upper Arlington teammates in June at Ohio State’s team camp held at the Schottenstein Center. While there, he spoke with Bucknuts about his experience playing on the AAU circuit and facing top-tier talent.
“I love playing against the best competition with my guys,” Smith said. “These circuits are really good for me and all the other dudes. You really get your name out there. A lot of people probably don’t know who I am, and then I come in the first session, being the sixth leading scorer—that kind of opens up people’s minds about me, and they start to take note and realize who I am.”
Now, Smith is taking the next step in his development by transferring to Prolific Prep for his senior season—a nationally recognized basketball academy known for producing elite talent and providing players with opportunities to compete against the best in the country.
Founded in Northern California in 2014, Prolific Prep has established itself as one of the premier destinations for elite high school basketball talent. Ahead of the upcoming season, the program announced its relocation from Napa, California, to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Prolific Prep describes its new setting as “a unique opportunity for serious student-athletes to be immersed in an environment of unmatched location and community support, basketball training (game-style practice, basketball development, and athletic training) accompanied by accredited high school academics.”
The program has a strong track record of developing high-level talent. Notable alumni include NBA players Gary Trent Jr. and Jalen Green, Illinois standout Coleman Hawkins, and Darryn Peterson—the No. 1 player in the 2025 recruiting class.
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