“I know a lot of people don’t believe me, but
seriously, I really don’t know where I’m going right
now,” said Smith Tuesday night. The 5-8, 187-pound
tailback out of Pahokee says it is still a four-team
race with Florida, Florida State, Miami and Auburn
“pretty much even out.”
The Miami visit allowed him to spend time with Coach
Larry Coker, whom he says is “a pretty honest guy. I
kinda trust him.”
He was hosted by a pair of linebackers from South Florida, Tavares Gooden and Jon Beason. He’s been
friends with Beason awhile so he said he was
comfortable with the company he was keeping.
“It was good to hang around some friends,” he said.
“Really, there’s not a whole lot about Miami that I
already don’t know. I’ve been going to games and camps
there a long time.”
The Miami visit was revealing in one aspect, however.
“At most schools you’ve got a lot of people in the
classes, so you’re not a name, you’re just a number,”
he said. “I like the way that Miami limits the number
of students in a class so you can at least get to know
the people you’re in class with.”
He talks regularly to University of Florida Coach
Urban Meyer, whom he met in an in-home visit about
three weeks ago. He stays in touch with Meyer and also
with Florida assistant Doc Holliday.
“I talk to Doc a lot,” he said.
Smith is rated the number two overall prospect in the
nation by Scout.com. He scored 44 touchdowns this past
season to lead Pahokee to its second straight state
championship. He will be a signing day commitment,
revealing his college choice on ESPN.
“Until then, I’m just gonna check things out and I’ll
make my choice after I’ve taken all my visits,” he
said.
Antone Smith probably understands the recruiting game
as well as any high school kid in the nation. He is a
bright young man with a good sense of humor who
listens very carefully to what everyone has to say. He
is watching carefully for inconsistencies among the
schools who are recruiting him and he’s not letting
anyone know what he sees are the strengths and
weaknesses of each school recruiting him. He isn’t
even talking about it to close friends.
“Everyone will know on signing day,” he said. “Until
then, I’m the only one who really knows.”