Following his final season at Scottsdale (Az.) Notre Dame Prep, elite wide receiver Jake Smith will either take his talents east to become a Texas Longhorn, or head west and join the USC Trojans, he announced on Monday.
Thank you to every Coach that has recruited/offered me. You have all made my dreams come true. My final 2 schools are:
— Jake Smith (@jakesmith27) May 8, 2018
The University of Texas The University of Southern California✌ Huge S/O to @979SportsEditz pic.twitter.com/3Maz9SlWuY
A prized pass catcher with 33 offers, Smith was also considering a variety of other programs, including Alabama, Ohio State, Clemson and Texas A&M. However, with those options and upwards of two dozen more now on the outside of Smith’s recruitment looking in, Texas is tasked with outlasting only the previous favorite, USC, and thus far, the Longhorns are making tremendous headway.
Throughout the offseason, Smith has paid his own way for a pair of unofficial visits to Texas, and plans to return to Austin for an official tour on June 1. As a result, the buzz has swung a bit in favor of Texas, with Smith’s last two Crystal Ball projections coming in for the Longhorns following his trip to Austin for the spring game.
Despite the momentum, though, Texas isn’t in a position to relax just yet. Along with his Texas official visit, Smith will utilize another official visit on a trip to USC in the coming weeks on May 18, and the Trojans were the favorites for his signature not too long ago. But at this point, the Longhorns have to feel good about the progress they’ve made in seemingly taking pole position in Smith’s recruitment.
A priority prospect in the slot, Smith is an electric prospect with breakaway speed and no shortage of versatility. In addition to thriving as a returner, Smith totaled 1,055 yards and 15 touchdowns on just 33 receptions, as added another 1,135 yards, and 11 touchdowns on 118 carries.
Not surprisingly, he’s one of the nation’s most highly-touted receiver prospect, ranked No. 19 nationally at his position and No. 105 overall, per the 247Sports Composite.