Wide receiver Rodney Smith saw all he needed to see on his trip to Florida State last weekend. Saturday night, he said he plans to sign with the Seminoles.
Smith, 6-foot-6 and 202 pounds from Archbishop Carroll High School in Miami, had said earlier he planned to take official visits to Florida State, Tennessee and Auburn.
Archbishop Carrol coach Jorge Zagales, apparently unaware earlier Saturday night of Smith's plans, said Smith has a strong work ethic and a winning sttitude to go with his undeniable talent.
“He is a special talent and a tremendous athlete,” Zagales said. “(He) is always focused on getting better and improving so he can help our team win the state championship this year.
“Rodney plays wide receiver and safety for us, and does a little bit of everything on the football field. He just loves the game of football.”
Smith, on the ESPN 150 Watch List, was first-team All-District and second-team All-State last season. He has a 3.-0 GPA.
Archbishop Carroll is a relatively small Catholic school with some 750 students in grades 9-12. Smith is perhaps the most high-profile football player in school history.
“With the amount of talent that he has on a football team with only 49 players, his impact for us is unprecedented,” Zagales said. “He plays all over the field for us, on special teams, defense, and on offense. We even toss the ball to him on certain occasions. We have 18 seniors that have been with us since they were freshman, and Rodney is the leader. He has tremendous character.”
Last season, Smith caught 30 passes for 627 yards and seven touchdowns. He has been timed at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash and has a 40-inch vertical jump.
ESPN.com, Scouts Inc. evaluation: Smith is a guy that could end up becoming a huge mismatch as a red zone target as he has great natural size, extremely long arms and he does a great job of attacking the football at its highest point. Is tall and has adequate bulk, but should become a real significant presence once he adds more weight and strength. Plays quicker than his measurables would lead you to believe. He is a very natural pass-catcher. Has big, strong hands and the wide catch radius to haul in poorly thrown balls. Focus and concentration when in a crowd is very strong and he does a great job of adjusting to the ball when it is in the air at the last second. Does an excellent job of securing the ball in traffic. Uses massive frame to shield defenders from the ball. Wins more jump balls than most receivers not only because of his size, but timing as well. Is a serious weapon inside the red zone, especially at this level. He is a highly competitive player and works to get to the football. However, Smith may lack elite top-end speed. He is a bit of a long-strider that builds speed as he goes. Not overly explosive after the catch. He is smooth for his size, but not very crisp when it comes to running routes. Rounds off too many of his breaks and still has room to improve with his overall footwork. He is so tall that his pad level can be high and it makes it difficult for him to juke and cut with ease which is why he is not a huge threat to make people miss after the catch. With added structure and discipline as a route runner, Smith's size and competitiveness could make him a hard to handle commodity down the road. Reminds us a little of former Indiana WR James Hardy.
