Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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www.BLUEANDGOLD.com MARCH 2018 61 2018 FOOTBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY COREY BODDEN While Jahmir Smith is well accom- plished on the field, the Irish running back signee may be even more so off the field. Smith rushed for 3,858 yards and 67 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Sanford (N.C.) Lee County. But during those two cam- paigns, Smith also racked up offers from all eight Ivy League programs. For the early enrollee, watching film is approached the same as a test in the classroom. "Off the field, it's been a shot of fresh air," Lee County assistant Fos- ter Cates said. "It's the kid that goes to class, turns in all his assignments, does everything his coaches ask him. … His academic focus and athletic focus never wavered. "On the field, it's the same as the classroom. He's quiet, but every- thing is business. It took me like three weeks to get him to smile. It was busi- ness and 'this is what I do.' The way he practices is the way he studies." With such a drive and focus on academics, Smith was certainly en- tertaining attending an Ivy League institution. But if he could get that quality of education while continu- ing his football career on a higher level then all the better. "It would not have shocked me one bit if he said he wanted to go Harvard, Yale or Princeton," Cates explained. "He was that focused on the four-for-40. That was all fo- cus. He always told me [he wanted] somewhere he could do both and get an Ivy League education. "He asked if there were any places like that in the country, and I said there's really not many. You have Duke, Northwestern, Notre Dame and Stanford. … If you take away those, there's a good chance he may have [gone Ivy League] just because of how serious he is with his academ- ics and future." Smith doesn't show much emotion even when he is playing under the lights. During his Notre Dame visit over the summer, Smith broke out of character and that's when Cates knew Smith would wind up in South Bend. "He doesn't smile," Cates said of Smith. "He always has the same face. You don't know if he's excited or mad. I asked when he would know where he was supposed to go and he said, 'You'll see me smile.' Easy enough. "He got up to Notre Dame and he was talking to Coach Kelly on the pa- tio deck outside of his office. He was smiling and I don't think he even knew he was smiling. … That's when I knew and I think that's when he knew as well." Smith may not smile much when he scores or walking around cam- pus, but it's certain the Tar Heel State product is taking advantage of the opportunities on and off the field. ✦ JAHMIR SMITH RUNNING BACK 5-10 · 198 LEE COUNTY H.S. SANFORD, N.C. RANKINGS STARS NAT. POS. STATE ✪ ✪ ✪ — 20 16 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 38 26 ✪ ✪ ✪ — 38 26 STATISTICS • Rushed for 1,728 yards and 27 touchdowns while helping Lee County to a 12-1 record during his senior year, despite playing in only 33 of a pos- sible 52 quarters due to blowout victories. • As a junior, rushed for 2,130 yards and a state- leading 40 touchdowns on 317 carries (6.7 yards per attempt). Rushed for at least 100 yards in 12 games — the two he didn't were blowout wins — and had at least four touchdowns five times. HONORS • Named the 2017 Offensive Player of the Year in the Tri-County 6 Conference. • Tabbed as a first-team All-Metro running back by The Raleigh News & Observer in 2016 and 2017. ALL-STAR GAMES AND CAMPS • Selected for the 2017 Shrine Bowl (North Caro- lina all-stars vs. South Carolina all-stars), but did not participate. • Participated in the Rivals Camp Series in Char- lotte, N.C., on April 30, 2017. RECRUITMENT • Committed to Notre Dame on July 23, 2017, over offers from California, Duke, Georgia Tech, Minnesota, Mississippi State, Nebraska, North Carolina, North Carolina State, Northwestern, Pur- due, USC, Vanderbilt, Virginia and Wisconsin. • Recruited primarily by running backs coach Autry Denson. • Took his official visit for the USC game on Oct. 21, 2017. NOTABLE • Born on Feb. 25, 2000. • Received an offer from all eight Ivy League programs. • Was the Marshall for the Sanford Parade this year. • Carries a 4.43 GPA and scored a 25 on the ACT. • He is the first North Carolina running back to sign with Notre Dame under head coach Brian Kelly. 2018 PROJECTION • Smith will get an opportunity to compete this spring for a spot in the running back rotation. THEY SAID IT Head coach Brian Kelly: "Mir is a blur with the football and will be a special addition to Coach Denson's RB room. Excited to get him on the field." Running backs coach Autry Denson: "He's able to run inside and outside, so you know he's a ball moving specialist. You look at his willingness to block and do other things for his team. "… His ability to show that he can catch the ball and him being forthright when I talked with him about his assessment of where he was. That's really big … Jahmir watched film to see what he can do better." BGI football analyst Bryan Driskell: "The big knock on Smith is that he lacks the breakaway speed desired at the position. While that might limit his home run potential, he is a gifted runner in every other way. He is a smooth athlete that is light on his feet for a bigger back. He makes easy cuts and is hard to get a solid shot on. His balance and thick lower half makes him very hard to bring down with just one defender. "Smith shows top-level vision for the position, something that he improved as a senior. He makes quick decisions and anticipates second-level de- fenders well. His feel for blocking schemes, quick reactions, improved agility and acceleration allow him to play faster than he times." Jahmir Smith Is All Business On And Off The Field Smith rushed for 3,858 yards and 67 touchdowns over the past two seasons at Sanford (N.C.) Lee County. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM