Corey Smith decides today; will Penn State land the four-star running back?
Four-star running back Corey Smith will make his college pick public today. The Waukesha, Wisc., Cathlolic Memorial recruit shared on social media last week that he will announce his choice on Friday inside of his high school’s gymnasium at 3:50 p.m. ET. The Class of 2024 prospect visited Penn State for its spring game. But, the Lions aren’t the only school in the running.
How will his recruitment end? We preview it below.
Tracking Corey Smith’s recruitment
Smith picked up his first offer back in December of 2021 from Central Michigan. Numerous Power Five offers would follow. Penn State joined the mix on Feb. 8 of this year. The 5-foot-11, 175-pound junior claimed 20 offers before setting an announcement date.
While the running back never released a list of top schools, his visit sheet indicates who he was interested in. Smith took a pair of unofficial visit to see the Lions. The first was in March, and the most recent one was for the Blue-White game earlier this month.
Wisconsin, Notre Dame, Tennessee, Michigan, and Alabama each hosted him once. But, the Panthers and Crimson Tide are the only programs besides Penn State to host him in 2023. And, the SEC program did not extend an offer.
Smith is an On3 Industry Rankings four-star. He sits as the No. 221 player overall, No. 18 running back, and No. 3 player in the state of Wisconsin.
Who are the contenders?
Without a list of finalists, we’re left with only guesswork here. Penn State will have a hat on the table. In-state Wisconsin and Pittsburgh likely will, as well.
For what it’s worth, Smith is a teammate of recent four-star Lions offensive line commit Donovan Harbour.
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What has he said about Penn State?
BWI recruiting expert Ryan Snyder caught up with Smith following his Blue-White game experience.
“Today was a great day,” Smith said. “Great vibes, great team, great atmosphere all-around, specifically the players. They showed competitiveness during the spring game which was very entertaining.”
Who leads on the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine?
Powered by an On3 RPM pick from Snyder and BWI publisher Sean Fitz, Penn State has a massive lead in the On3 Recruiting Prediction Machine percentage leaderboard heading into decision day.
How can you follow Corey Smith’s announcement?
If Smith follows the same announcement plan as Harbour, he will be live streaming his announcement on Instagram. Click here to see his page.
Where Penn State stands entering the day
Penn State currently has the No. 11 Class of 2024 in the On3 Industry team rankings. It enters the day with 12 commitments. One of them, Pittsburgh four-star athlete Quinton Martin, also projects as a running back at the next level.
Here is the Lions’ current commitment timeline rundown:
Apr. 25, 2023 — Cornelius, N.C., three-star tackle Eagan Boyer.
Apr. 24, 2023 — Hartland, Wisc., three-star tackle Garrett Sexton.
April 18, 2023 — Waukesha, Wisc., four-star offensive lineman Donovan Harbour.
April 15, 2023 — Reading, Pa., three-star offensive tackle Caleb Brewer.
Apr. 10, 2023 — Jacksonville, Fla., three-star cornerback Antoine Belgrave-Shorter.
April 7, 2023 – Pittsburgh, Pa., four-star athlete Quinton Martin.
April 1, 2023 – Jacksonville, Fla., four-star cornerback Jon Mitchell.
March 25, 2023 – Westford, Mass., three-star tight end Luke Reynolds
March 3, 2023 – Philadelphia, Pa., three-star cornerback Kenny Woseley Jr.
Feb. 28, 2023 — Bloomfield Hills, Mich., three-star linebacker Kari Jackson
Jan. 17, 2023 — Pittsburgh, Pa., four-star linebacker Anthony Speca
Jan. 29, 2022 — Erie, Pa., four-star interior offensive lineman Cooper Cousins
