Westwood CB Cam Smith with 24 offers and counting
The word is out about Blythewood (S.C.) Westwood three-star cornerback Cam Smith.
Sporting elite size at 6-foot-1, 178-pounds and impressive film, Smith is up to 24 offers and counting this spring.
Smith went to middle school in Blythewood before moving to Fort Meade, Md. where he attended Meade High until this past December when he moved back to the Midlands.
Since then, college coaches have swarmed the halls of Westwood during the spring evaluation period with South Carolina defensive coordinator Travaris Robinson among the recruiters who dropped in last week.
"I went to the camp last year and I can tell he really loves his DBs," Smith said of Robinson. "Because he was out there sweating with the people who were in the camp, so I can tell he loves it with the energy that he gives and he loves to have energy out there on the field."
While South Carolina has not yet offered, the Gamecocks are showing plenty of attention, including from head coach Will Muschamp.
"I was on the phone with him the other day and he was talking about me coming down to USC just to get a feel back for it, because I've been gone for so long and getting to know him and the coaching staff," Smith said. "(Robinson) just says I need to come to camp and do what I do. Coach Muschamp says that's how he's done it with all his DBs. Vernon Hargreaves from Florida, all of his DBs, [have camped]."
Smith does plan to camp at South Carolina and says it may be on June 5 or later in the summer when Westwood participates in Carolina's 7-on-7.
"It's been my favorite school since I was little," Smith said. "That's where I always wanted to go as a little kid and now that I have the opportunity, it's great to have, but I have to think about the options four years from now."
And he's got plenty of those options.
Among the schools who have most recently offered: Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, Tennessee and Boston College. Those programs join schools like East Carolina, Old Dominion and West Virginia that offered previously.
All of that attention has led to a busy spring and likely a hectic summer as Smith looks to take visits.
Currently he plans to see Georgia (no offer yet) on June 2, North Carolina on June 16, and ECU on June 17 plus Florida State, Tennessee and West Virginia at dates that are yet to be determined (FSU may be on July 28).
While Smith doesn't currently have any leaders, he provided thoughts on several program he'll visit.
Florida State: "I couldn't believe it [when they offered]. It's Florida State. When I got that one, I was like, I can really play at a big level school. I can tell that (recruiter Mario Edwards) has a lot of energy. He's so energetic on the phone, so he's a pretty energetic coach."
Georgia: "I know they have a great program and a great business school. I want to major in sports management, so the business school is great. And Channing (Tindall) has told me a lot about the school."
North Carolina: "I know they have a fairly knew coaching staff [on defense]. Their DBs coach, he used to be at Rutgers and he used to coach me when I was up there and now he's back down here, so I have a good relationship with him. I know a couple of people that committed there and they told me why they committed."
ECU: "I don't really know much yet, but that used to be one of my favorite schools when I was little, because I liked their mascot. I used to watch them a lot when I was little. Their new defensive coordinator (David Blackwell), he's from Jacksonville State, and he had one of the best defenses in FCS last year."
Tennessee: "Coach (Jeremy) Pruitt, his background is everything. He's coached at Alabama and he's a DB guy, so he likes coaching his DBs. Coach (Chris) Rumph has really been excited about me and on me. All their coaches have texted me and said they want me to be a Vol, so I feel the love coming from them."
West Virginia: "Coach (Doug) Belk was telling me real stuff when I talked to him. He really likes me and he feels like if I go to West Virginia, he can develop me as a person, as a man, and as an athlete. I felt the way he was talking."
Smith has already taken visits to Georgia Tech and Maryland.
With a flurry of offers in this spring and more likely on the way, Smith isn't sure when he'll make a decision, but he does know what factors will be important to him when he does: "The way I feel on the campus, if I feel at home or not, the type of relationship I have with my position coach, and then the business school."