After all the rumors, it’s official.
Jackson Smith, a left-handed defenseman and projected top-15 NHL entry draft pick, has announced his commitment to Penn State via Instagram.
BREAKING: Jackson Smith, a projected top-10 2025 NHL entry draft pick, has officially committed to Penn State.The Nittany Lions have been linked to Smith since the beginning of June.The left-handed defenseman tallied 54 points, 43 assists and 11 goals last season in the WHL. pic.twitter.com/1axqU73s8w
— Chase Fisher (@chase_fisher4) June 15, 2025
Scott Wheeler of the Athletic reported Smith’s pledge to the Nittany Lions on June 1 but walked back on it moments later. Wheeler mentioned it wasn’t “done done,” and that the defenseman was yet to visit Penn State.
Smith met with the Buffalo Sabres during the NHL draft combine, with the gist of the talks revolving around Penn State, according to Chad DeDominicis on X.
The 18-year-old adds length and physicality on the defensive end for the blue and white. Additionally, he is extremely talented on the offensive end, being mentioned as a “very good skater” and “very elusive” according to former NHL forward Stu Barnes.
“He’s a big guy who’s a very good skater, good on his edges, very elusive for his size,” Barnes told NHL.com. “(He’s) able to skate the puck out of the defensive zone, out of trouble and then transport it down the ice and be very efficient offensively.”
Smith will quarterback the first power-play unit for coach Guy Gadowsky and will slot into the top defense pair.
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