One of the top WRs in the nation, Jake Smith, announced his Top 2 schools. Smith is a Top 20 WR and the #105 player in the nation for 2019 class. Also, he is the #2 player in the state of Arizona. It seems the two teams squaring off for Smith’s services are the same schools that played in the 2006 National Championship game – Texas and USC. The two teams will also face off on the field this year on September 15 in Austin. So, this news is putting that much more pressure on that match-up.
Thank you to every Coach that has recruited/offered me. You have all made my dreams come true. My final 2 schools are:
The University of Texas🤘🏼 The University of Southern California✌🏼 Huge S/O to @979SportsEditz pic.twitter.com/3Maz9SlWuY— Jake Smith (@jakesmith27) May 8, 2018
While Smith may have shortened his list to these two juggernaut schools, his offer list was off the charts. He was one of the few recruits that held over 30 offers from all over the nation. Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and many others also threw their hats into the ring. The offers are well deserved because Smith is quite the baller. His combination of speed, vision, and hands makes him an electric player on the field. Smith has the ability to make defenders miss in open space, or get behind DBs down field. This gives him the potential to be quite the playmaker at the next level.
Mike’s Take
So far this year, Texas and USC have found themselves battling for a variety of top notch recruits. This recruitment is no different. Just a few months ago Texas was able to secure a commitment from top 50 LB De’Gabriel Floyd, who was once committed to USC. Also, both schools seem to be battling for the services of 5 star WR Bru McCoy and top CB Chris Steele. It seems that the USC/Texas rival is back, baby.
I could really see Smith ending up at either school at this point in his recruitment. It seems that the Arizona native is prioritizing his relationships with the staff and his comfortability with the campus, so distance is not a major factor here. My prediction here would be that Smith ends up as a Long Horn. Texas OC Tim Beck has done a great job at building a relationship with Jake, and I predict that it will pay big dividends. Either way, we can’t wait to see this kid play college ball, and we’re excited to see Texas and USC going at it again.
