'10 IN RB Roderick Smith is a Buckeye!!!

[osugrad21]

BN$--Smith On OSU Spring Game: 'I've never seen anything like it'

Roderick says he had to resist committing so he could compare the visit to other schools but tOSU has a big lead and Dad loved it also.

[ShakerBuck]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

BN$--Smith On OSU Spring Game: 'I've never seen anything like it'

Roderick says he had to resist committing so he could compare the visit to other schools but tOSU has a big lead and Dad loved it also.

love hearing stuff like this....

[scarletngray]

Originally Posted by osugrad21

BN$--Smith On OSU Spring Game: 'I've never seen anything like it'

Roderick says he had to resist committing so he could compare the visit to other schools but tOSU has a big lead and Dad loved it also.

Great news!! When he pulls the trigger, he'll look awesome in scarlet and gray and follow in the tradition of the great, big, running backs, that are part of the Buckeye tradition.

[osugrad21]

Scout$--Smith Names Favorite, Talks Commitment

More of the same...Roderick says tOSU is his clear #1 and he will likely decide by July.

[Buckskin86]

Published: May 1, 2009
Hawks? Smith leans toward OSU
Greg Jones
High school sports editor


File photo
Roderick Smith of Harding is ranked as the 11th-best running back recruit in the nation by recruiting service Scout.com.


Rod Smith
School: Harding
Grade: Junior
Position: Running back
Height/weight: 6-3, 220
Yearly rushing yards
2008: 1,685
2007: 1,286
2006: 1,799

Harding junior running back Rod Smith has been listening to interest from other college suitors, but it will be difficult for any of them to overtake Ohio State as Smith?s future destination.

?I have been patient,? Smith said of his recruiting process. ?I haven?t been worrying about it too much. I want to see what is the right fit for me.

?It has been on and off, kind of crazy. I get a lot of phone calls, but it has been going pretty good. If I see a different area code (on the caller ID), it is probably a reporter.?

Ohio State has been atop his list since the Buckeyes were impressed with Smith at a 7-on-7 camp as a freshman. Smith was at Ohio State?s Spring Game on April 25 and was treated like royalty.

?They are leading the pack,? Smith said of Ohio State. ?I really like their program, and their coaches are really committed to the players. But I am trying to see what opens up out there for me.?

Smith has been offered a scholarship by Ohio State, Purdue, Iowa and Michigan State. He said he has had conversations with Michigan State recently. Also in the mix are Minnesota, Georgia and Oklahoma.

The official commitment won?t be until July, but he might wait until the end of his senior season, he said.

Hawks_ Smith leans toward OSU | The Journal Gazette, Fort Wayne, Ind.

[wadc45]

Scout $ - Scout.com: ScoutTV: Roderick Smith

Junior highlights.

[CHU]

He really shot up the recruiting rankings. Now No. 48 in the Rivals 100.

Rivals.com Football Recruiting - New five-star CB among moves in Rivals100

Hope he can continue to develop.

[BigJim]

Right on cue with what everyone has been saying would happen once these sites got film on Smith.

[smithlabs]

Originally Posted by CHU

He really shot up the recruiting rankings. Now No. 48 in the Rivals 100.

Rivals.com Football Recruiting - New five-star CB among moves in Rivals100

Hope he can continue to develop.

I guess that is why Tressel makes the big bucks. He gets in on kids like this as freshmen.

[leroyjenkins]

Roderick Smith evaluation

Smith may be one of the more impressive backs in this class in terms of a size to speed ratio. Tall with great bulk but still lean enough through his waist and lower-body to remain fluid with some wiggle. When you look at his great measurables you question whether he can remain at running back -- until you see his good in-line feet and suddenness through the hole. Hits the hole extremely fast with great urgency out of his stance. Shows good between the tackles quickness and burst darting through traffic. Able to see and slice through the seams just as they open. Runs with very good balance out if his cuts and body control. Shows he can hit the cutback sharply at full speed as well as sidestep and jump-cut initial penetration without gearing down much. Displays good lateral quicks and burst to the outside. Flashes good acceleration and a sneaky extra gear when he breaks free in the second level. What stands out about this guy the more you watch him his ability to consistently get north with square shoulder pads; shifty but doesn't take a lot of unnecessary cuts. His great momentum through the hole allows him to consistently bounce off and run through initial contact. However, we did not see the explosive power we were expecting with his good blend of size and speed. Base and body-tilt for a taller runner is good but he will need to run more behind his pads at the next level and increase his lower-body thickness and power. Tripped up low a lot. Would like to see a wider hip base for a future college load-back in order to carry the load, remain durable and consistently break through first contact. In the second level he is going to give you good straight-line speed but not a lot of elusiveness. Overall, Smith looks and often runs like Chris "Beanie" Wells on film and is a very impressive athlete physically. If he does not make a smooth transition to running back at the next level, he certainly has the measurables to play linebacker.

Roderick Smith - College Football Recruiting 2010 - ESPN

[wadc45]

IndyStar.com | High school sports | The Indianapolis Star

May 8, 2009
Respect for state's football talent
Posted by Kyle Neddenriep

Indiana continues to gain respect nationally as a state that produces high school football talent. Here's a passage from a recent story in USA Today:

Indiana has always been thought of more as a basketball state than a football sate, but this year's crop of talent has several big-time players. This is includes Roderick Smith of Harding (Fort Wayne). The four-star running back makes his debut in the Rivals100 at No. 48. Smith is ranked as the nation's No. 5 running back overall.

[Redhawk]

Ohio State Buckeyes College Football Recruiting, OSU Big Ten Football, OSU Basketball - Bucknuts.com

Ft. Wayne (Ind.) Harding running back Roderick Smith has added Michigan State and Michigan to his list of scholarship offers. Smith's list is now made up of five Big Ten schools, the Spartans and Wolverines as well as Ohio State, Iowa and Purdue.

"I knew Michigan State was going to offer," Smith said. "But I didn't know the Michigan offer was coming."

Buckeye assistant Doc Tressel was recently in Indiana to check on Smith.
"Coach Tressel came out and watched our track meet," Smith said. "I talked to him for a second after I ran. Then he got back on the road again."

When asked if his new offers have changed anything, Smith said, "Ohio State is still No. 1. They still have a big lead."

The 6-foot-2 and 220-pound Smith rushed for over 1,200 yards and scored 14 times during his junior season.

[osugrad21]

...and back to Roderick after the split.

C'mon guys...I know its the off-season but let's hold the line eh?

[CHU]

Offers are starting to pile up.

Scout.com: Tennessee Offers Rod Smith

Harding Head Coach Sherwood Haydock reported that his star running back Roderick Smith 6-3 220lb has been offered by Tennessee. Smith who is arguably one of the top running backs not only in Indiana but in the country has stirred a great amount of interest this spring.

[NFBuck]

That film is something else. I'll lay dollars to donuts he's a 5* by the time NLOID rolls around.