On300 Michigan QB commit Carter Smith named Gatorade's Florida Player of the Year

On300 2025 Michigan quarterback commit Carter Smith has been named the 2023-24 Gatorade Player of the Year for the state of Florida.

Smith had a sensational junior season that saw him pass for 2,223 yards and 29 touchdowns with just four interceptions. A true dual-threat quarterback, Smith also added 715 yards and 19 touchdowns on the ground and led Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot to an 11-2 record.

Smith notched an offer from Michigan in November while on an unofficial visit and gave the Wolverines a verbal pledge later that month.

“I was trying to be patient throughout the recruiting process,” Smith said after his commitment. “I wanted the right school to click. I went up there for that Purdue game and was around for a couple of days. Being around the coaches and the people in the building, it just felt right. There was no problem with it. It had all the benefits I wanted. It just felt like the right place.”

Smith picked Michigan over offers from Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Miami, Penn State, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech and others.

At 6-foot-3, 180 pounds, Smith is ranked as the No. 10 quarterback and No. 161 overall prospect nationally, per the On3 Industry Ranking. He is also ranked at the No. 24 overall recruit in the state of Florida for next cycle.

Smith is part of a three-man 2025 Michigan recruiting class that also includes Top 100 Miami (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna cornerback Chris Ewald and four-star Howell (Mich.) High defensive lineman Bobby Kanka. The class is ranked No. 10 nationally.

“We’re going to put together a special class,” Smith said. “I talked to (DJ) Pickett a little bit. We grew up playing baseball together. I know there is some people worried about all the stuff going on, but I said ‘listen, nobody has entered the transfer portal, nobody is decommitting and everyone is sticking through it.’ Also, just starting that Florida pipeline. Why not take home up north? I’m taking a lot of pride in building a special group around me.”

Three 2025 Michigan targets also earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors for their specific states. Five-star Belleville (Mich.) High quarterback Bryce Underwood won the award for Michigan, five-star Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day offensive lineman David Sanders won the award for North Carolina and On300 Cleveland (Ohio) Heights athlete Marquise Davis won the award for Ohio.