INKED: WR Michael Smith signs with Pitt
Pitt has received its latest National Letter of Intent from Vero Beach (Fla.) wide receiver Michael Smith, who intends to continue his academic and athletic career with the Panthers.
Michael Smith became the ninth player to sign with Pitt’s football program in the 2017 recruiting class on National Signing Day at 7:41 AM, joining his classmates signing today and four early enrollees who have already been in class at Pitt. Smith is a 6-foot-2, 205-pound wide receiver who came along late in the recruiting process after a fantastic senior year for Vero Beach (Fla.). Here’s a brief look back at his journey as a recruit and his history with Pitt:
First mention on Rivals: Michael Smith didn't truly emerge on the recruiting radar for many schools until his senior year of high school. Smith only played two seasons of varsity football, but he made up for lost time in his final campaign snaring 67 catches for 1,561 yards and 24 touchdowns. It was at that time he started gaining notoriety as a recruit. Schools like Pitt, Notre Dame, Indiana, Georgia Tech, and others began to pursue Smith, with the star receiver setting up official visits to Pitt (December 9th), Georgia Tech (January 13th), and Notre Dame (January 20th).
On his official visit: “It was great,” Smith said. “I loved everything about it: the food, the players, the coaching staff. The players were really humble to me and the other recruits and I just felt comfortable with the whole team. I saw the practice facilities and the stadium and I watched them practice. Their facilities are great. You practice and play where the Pittsburgh Steelers play, so you get a feel for college and the NFL. And they showed us around town, we visited the classrooms and met other students. They showed us a lot.”
Smith commits to Pitt: Following that December 9th trip to Pitt, a January 13th trip to Georgia Tech, and an in-home visit from the Pitt coaches, Smith canceled his planned official visit to Notre Dame and committed to Pat Narduzzi and the Panthers on January 19th. Smith became Pitt's 21st commitment of the class and the third wide receive to pledge to the Panthers.
Smith's impact: "Popping in his film or highlight tapes shows people all they need to see from Smith nearly immediately. In addition to the unteachable factors like speed and size, Smith is a comfortable pass-catcher in most circumstances. He catches the football well away from his body and through contact, showing a sound pair of hands. You don't want to see a pad-catcher at the high school level, because it makes a quarterback's job that much harder and the target that much smaller.
Smith also excels making difficult catches and catches away from the body due to his superior body control. He appears to have above-average flexibility and core strength and can stretch out for a football while keeping his feet in-bounds." Read more about his expected contributions in Michael Smith: The Impact.
