Akili Smith shares his son's journey to Eugene and the Oregon Ducks

Akili Smith Sr. played quarterback for the Oregon Ducks 25 years ago. Now, his son Akili Smith Jr. is set to become a star quarterback for the Ducks. On National Signing Day, the four-star QB prospect officially committed to Oregon and since then, Smith Sr. has shared his son's journey to Eugene.

Smith Jr. was the 15th-overall quarterback in the 2025 class and it seemed like destiny that he would sign with the Oregon Ducks – with his dad's legacy, the Ducks' success with quarterbacks over the last two decades, and Oregon's spot as the No. 1 team in the nation.

Over the past few days, as Oregon's matchup in the Rose Bowl Game creeps closer, Smith Sr. has shared images and messages of Smith Jr. joining the Ducks.

Whether it's throwback videos of his son or current pictures of the prospect, the pride that the former Duck has for the newest Duck is readily apparent in everything Smith Sr. shares on social media.

Smith Jr. received offers from all across the country and even visited a few programs since originally committing to the Ducks on July 31, 2023 – including the Ole Miss Rebels. However, there has been no true sign that the quarterback's attention could ever be turned away from Oregon.

During his senior season, Smith Jr. completed 153 passes for 2,478 yards and 24 touchdowns through the air. The dual-threat quarterback also ran for an impressive 508 yards and 4 additional touchdowns on the ground.

With 2,986 total yards over 14 games in his senior season, Smith Jr. averaged a stunning 213.3 yards per game – which, even more surprisingly, was his career worst in high school (218.9 y/g in 2023, 219.1 y/g in 2022).

Both Smith Jr. and Smith Sr. are expected to be in Pasadena to attend the Ducks' game against the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2025. The game will kick off at 2 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on ESPN.

Read more: