Malcolm Smith (6-2, 212, 4.5), Scout.com's No. 4 weakside linebacker from Taft High School in Woodland Hills, Calif., has narrowed his choices to California, Notre Dame and USC. Smith adamantly denies a leader. "But, I am no longer considering Penn State, Arizona, Michigan or UCLA," Smith said.
"I visited Notre Dame on Sep. 16," said the four-star prospect. "I like the campus. It is a very nice school. They have a lot of history. I went to the Notre Dame vs. Michigan game. I can potentially see myself there. Special teams coach Brian Polian is my recruiter. He would really like to see me there.
"My visit with California was on Dec. 8," Smith said. "Coach (Jeff) Tedford said he'd like to have me on their team. Wide receivers coach (Dan) Ferrigno is my recruiter. He told me to check out the school before I went there. It is a beautiful place. The facilities are nice. I like the team and they have great players…like I could be. I am good at football. I have instinct. I want to get stronger. I want to be a very strong linebacker.
"I will visit USC on Jan. 19," said Smith, whose brother is departing Trojan receiver Steve Smith. "Distance is not a factor to me. I don't have to be close to home. It really does not matter where I play. But I have to go now. Call me later and I'll tell you more. But I've got to go now."
Smith reports a 3.0 core GPA and a 1600 SAT (new version).