------
* Video: Florida commit Goss talks Gators and more
* Florida making a move up lineman's list
* Gators offer top Peach State tight end
* LSU Rivals100 commit wants to visit Florida
* Big Three hold edge for lineman Briggs
* Wire: Florida the favorite to land five-star
* Signee Academic Update: Four to keep an eye on
------
Nowadays recruiting has evolved to the point where if a prospect isn't ranked four or five stars and have 15-to-20 Power 5 Conference offers by now he is written off as an 'undesirable' by most fan bases.
Forget the fact that just a few short years ago this is the time of the year when the recruiting process really began in earnest. Though it has moved up more and more – mostly because of recruiting services and the Internet – at one time the spring evaluation period and summer camp circuit were when prospects would generally see interest in their services pick up and thus offers significantly increase.
A prospect whose recruiting process is more closely following the old school way of doing things is that of Jacksonville (Fla.) Bartram Trail three-star quarterback Riley Smith.
One of the reasons for the slow start to his process is that Smith had to share quarterbacking duties with two other players last season.
You see, the Bears have an interesting situation at quarterback. Last season, as a junior, Smith teamed up with then senior Jordan Smith and Joey Gatewood to form a three-headed monster at quarterback.
Though Gatewood is more highly rated, it was actually the two Smiths who took the majority of snaps at quarterback with Riley Smith logging the best passing stats of the three.
Splitting snaps at a position is hardly new to the game of football. However, it doesn't normally happen to this extent at quarterback.
It might actually create tension.
“We have a great relationship to start out with and we're both very competitive. We drive each other to do better,” stated Smith. “If anything this pushes us to be the best players we can be. We are the first to congratulate the other.”
The trio has been reduced to a duo this time around.
“We'll mostly rotate almost every other series,” explained Smith. “When we're not lined up at quarterback, we'll play another position. Joey will line-up at running back or wide out. I'll line-up at wide out."
As was reported by Inside the Gators early last week, on Friday Florida offensive coordinator Doug Nussmeier was scheduled to watch the 6-foot-5, 200-pound Smith scrimmage on Friday.
Florida though wasn't the only program on hand.
“I have had multiple coaches come in this spring to evaluate me,” said Smith. “On Friday it was Stanford's offensive coordinator [Mike Bloomgren], Kurt Roper [South Carolina's offensive coordinator] and Doug Nussmeier who came in to watch me scrimmage. I'm talking to a lot of different schools – Pitt, Temple and North Carolina are high on me – they are telling me to stay patient and keep doing what I am doing.”
To date Smith has 25 offers and counting. Many of them though come from programs known more for their academics rather than their football.
“I pretty much have an offer from all of the Ivy League schools,” Smith said nonchalantly. “Temple, South Alabama, Central Michigan. Schools like that. I am still waiting on my first Power 5 [Conference] offer.”
Though he didn't highlight or dwell on it, to have your choice of which Ivy League program you wish to attend is a pretty big deal.
It also adds a complication most football prospects aren't forced to face – what happens when the bigger offers start rolling in and he has to decide between big time football and an Ivy League education?
“It's an awesome experience to have these type of opportunities that will help take me wherever I want to go in life – especially since academics are such an important factor for me. It's great to be able to say that I can go to one of those types of schools, but that's the hard part. I've been thinking about it and praying about it. If I get those bigger offers I'll have to sit down with my parents and talk it out. I love the thought of getting an Ivy League education, but I also want a shot at going to the NFL. I would have to weigh it out and decide which is the best opportunity for my future.”
Without question, Stanford is as close to an Ivy League education as you can get while still playing 'big time' college football. While the Cardinal like Smith, they are in a bit of a bind.
“They've been talking to me and they said that they can only take one scholarship quarterback this year and they have him already [four-star Jack West], but if I could come in as a walk-on to start out and earn a scholarship down the road. I don't know. It is something I will think about but I really want to be a scholarship player.”
Florida is also thought to be one of the top public universities in the nation.
The Gators are telling Smith that an offer could come down the road.
“I've talked to coach Nuss a couple of times,” explained Smith. “He wants to get me on campus for an individual throwing session and then have me come in for a camp. He wants to see me more and start building a better relationship with me. He compared my situation to [Kyle] Trask. He said not to get discouraged, this is what he [Trask] had to do too. I'm trying to stay positive – hoping I can pull that offer.”
There are four other programs very much in play:
“I went on a visit to South Carolina before the start of spring football,” explained Smith. “I've been talking to Coach Roper and he wants me to come back up. I've been talking to Florida State's quarterback coach [Randy Sanders] a lot. Pitt, I really think they are about to offer. North Carolina, they're talking to me and I'm going to visit there this summer.”
------
Thank you for reading this Inside the Gators article. To discuss it, please visit the Alligator Alley Forum.
