Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525333
S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 5 3 W W W . B L U E W H I T E O N L I N E . C O M P enn State extended its midsummer recruiting surge by landing four-star linebacker Cam Smith on Aug. 8. A stand- out at St. Joseph's Prep in Philadelphia, Smith had committed to Duke in February but began wavering over the summer and now is set to remain in the Northeast for his college career. The 6-foot, 200-pound prospect had been interested in committing to the Nit- tany Lions in February, but with the staff already holding commitments from line- backers DJ McClary and Alex Tatsch at the time, new defensive coordinator Tom Allen wasn't quite ready to add a third. However, it became clear in June that McClary's commitment wasn't likely to stick. McClary decommitted that month, and Penn State's recruiting staff picked up right where they left off with Smith. That resulted in a visit on July 27. "I've always wanted to go to Penn State, but I also loved the Duke staff, so it was a hard decision," Smith said. "Me and my family talked, and we believed that Penn State was the best choice for me." Like so many other top lineback- ers over the years, Smith was swayed by Penn State's history at the position, as well as the program's overall success during James Franklin's tenure as head coach. Micah Parsons was a consensus All-American at PSU and is now a pe- rennial All-Pro for the Dallas Cowboys, while Abdul Carter, a linebacker turned defensive end, is being hailed as a poten- tial first-round pick next year. "They have a great history at develop- ing great linebackers," Smith said, "and I have a chance to play on a big stage while aiming for a national championship." Smith added that Penn State's prox- imity to home wasn't a major factor in choosing the Nittany Lions over Duke. "I'd say the culture, standing and coaching separated them," he explained. The Blue Devils are coached by Manny Diaz, who spent the past two seasons as defensive coordinator at Penn State. When Diaz left following the 2023 regular season, Franklin hired Tom Allen to take charge of the defense. Smith said he's still getting to know the former Indiana head coach, but he sees the Nittany Lions as a good fit. "We have a good relationship. We're still building it up, but it's going well," Smith said. "One thing I like is how knowledgeable he is about the game." Smith attended Salem (N.J.) High be- fore transferring to St. Joseph's Prep last year. He finished his junior season with 72 tackles, 4.5 sacks and 1 interception. Smith holds a four-star grade in the On3 Industry Ranking and is listed as the No. 264 overall prospect and No. 26 linebacker nationally, as well as the No. 8 player in Pennsylvania. On3's scouts have him rated a bit lower, listing him 43rd among linebackers nationally and 10th in Pennsylvania, and having assigned him a three-star rating. ■ PSU's Linebacker Lineage Sways Four-Star Prospect RYA N S N Y D E R | RYA N . S N Y D E R @ O N 3 . C O M Smith had been interested in Penn State throughout his recruitment but committed to Duke in February. He flipped his commitment in early August, explaining that he and his family felt that "Penn State was the best place for me." PHOTO BY RYAN SNYDER COMMITMENT PROFILE CAM SMITH Cam Smith is a pure linebacker, and one who reminds you of Penn State linebacker commits of the past. He's good in coverage, and he has the athleticism to play the posi- tion. The Nittany Lions have always recruited these guys who can play the Sam position but who could also develop into a Will linebacker — athletic players who have got the instincts to play in the box. Those box-level instincts are super important when you're talking about where Smith projects at the next level. Smith is listed at 6-foot, 200 pounds, and he has some growth potential. The measure- ments that I always talk about in terms of what a player's frame looks like, those are all positive. Maybe he grows to 6-1 eventually, maybe he doesn't, but he has the frame to develop into a box linebacker. Length and reach are important for a linebacker, and he checks all of those boxes. Looking at some of the metrics that matter, if you're not going to get a guy who's 6-3 and runs a 4.5-second 40, this is a guy who pos- sesses all the important qualities they need in their defense. Coverage skills are really important for those box linebackers, because defensive coordinator Tom Allen puts a lot of stress on them to be good coverage play- ers with some of the things he does in the secondary. — Thomas Frank Carr P L A Y E R E V A L U A T I O N