Rivals analysts make their picks on 4-star RB Smothers: Is he FSU bound?
While Florida State and other college football teams are focused on spring football, some of the nation's brightest high school stars are busy attending events like the Rivals Camp Series, which is taking place in cities across the country.
Four-star North Carolina running back Daylan Smothers participated in the Rivals Charlotte camp this past weekend, and he gave indications that the Seminoles are trending in a very positive direction in his recruitment.
Smothers maintained FSU is a "frontrunner" in his pecking order, and he told Rivals National Recruiting Director Adam Gorney that he believes in the direction of the program under third-year head coach Mike Norvell.
“You see what he is trying to do,” Smothers said. “He has a goal, and he just needs players to get them back to how they were. I definitely feel him on the change, and they’ve been a frontrunner in my recruitment."
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Smothers visited FSU on March 5 and expressed similar sentiments during his trip to Tallahassee. At the time, he proclaimed the Seminoles were a "top school" for his services.
The other schools often mentioned in the thick of the race for Smothers are Alabama, N.C. State and Penn State. He also has mentioned Michigan and Michigan State, and he told Rivals that his mother would like him to consider HBCU programs as well.
While Smothers hasn't said how close he is to making a commitment, four of Rivals' national recruiting experts took turns Wednesday giving their opinions on where they think the Rivals250 running back will end up signing.
Gorney and national recruiting analyst Eric Lammers said they both believe Smothers will be part of FSU's 2023 signing class. Rivals national recruiting analyst/rankings director Adam Friedman and national recruiting analyst Ryan Wright, meanwhile, said they think N.C. State will edge out the Seminoles.
Here are their comments and predictions:
"Since his sophomore year, Florida State has made Smothers a priority, and the Seminoles should be considered the slight leader in his recruitment right now. The Charlotte (N.C.) Chambers standout recently visited Tallahassee again, and he loves the vision coach Mike Norvell has for the program and thinks Florida State just needs more players to return to national prominence. Alabama, Michigan, N.C. State and others remain in the mix, but the Seminoles look to be in the best position to land him." - Gorney
"The feeling I was getting this weekend was that Florida State did a really good job with Smothers on his recent visit to Tallahassee, perhaps even separating themselves from the pack. He is scheduled to visit Penn State in April and the Nittany Lions could be a sleeper team to watch as he has really clicked with Penn State running backs coach Ja'Juan Seider. N.C. State is also a school to watch closely here, but ultimately the Seminoles staff is relentless enough to bring Smothers south, and that's where I see him ending up. Florida State is my pick." - Lammers
"N.C. State has really prioritized Smothers for a very long time and he is becoming very close with some of the important commits N.C. State already has, but Florida State also looms large in his recruitment. The Seminoles got him on campus earlier this month and he really enjoyed his visit. Keep an eye on North Carolina down the stretch. An offer from the Tar Heels might cause things to change in his recruitment. Alabama and Michigan are also involved, but right now it looks like N.C. State could get him." - Friedman
"Offers are continuing to pile up for Smothers, with Ole Miss and Oklahoma offering this month. With more than 30 offers, Smothers has a lot of fantastic choices. Some of the high-profile teams to offer include Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Michigan, Ohio State and Oklahoma. He visited N.C. State in February, and if the Chambers High School four-star wants to stay home for school, the Wolfpack look like the pick." - Wright
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