Roderick Smith, the 6-foot-3.5, 215-pound four-star running back from Harding High School in Fort Wayne, Ind., finished his junior season with 1,685 yards rushing and 15 touchdowns.
As impressive as those stats are, his three-year totals are even more staggering. During his three-year career, he’s amassed 5,285 yards on the ground.
“I’m quick and am able to get away from the defender,” Smith said. “I can make smart decisions and don’t make many mistakes. I’m really balanced. I can do all the little things well.”
Smith admits he’d like to find the hole quicker and is trying to get stronger (benches 300-pounds, squats 400). “I’d also like to be more patient on the blocks,” he said.
He now has scholarship offers from Ohio State and Iowa and says the Buckeyes remain his favorite, describing their lead as “solid”. “They have amazing history,” Smith said. “I’ve always liked everything about them. I grew up on Ohio State.”
Smith plans on attending the Ohio State camp later this summer. “The coaches there are great people and I’ve gotten to talk with them a few times already,” he said. “I’ve even talked with coach Jim Tressel, which was great.
“He’s a very humble and honest guy,” he said. “He told me to stay humble and not get caught up in everything.”
Another thing that Smith says the Buckeyes have going for them is their history of running backs. “They like to run the ball and always produce great backs,” he said. “I think they run a good offense that I could fit into well.”
Ohio State holds a solid edge over Iowa (only other offer), Georgia and Michigan State.
“I’ve never been to Iowa,” Smith said. “But they seem like a good program. The coaches have been to my school and they send me a ton of mail about the school. They really want me to come out and visit them.”
In addition to Ohio State, Smith says he’s also always liked Georgia. “It’s one of those programs that I just liked how they played,” he said. “They run a good offense.”
But the Bulldogs haven’t offered yet. “They’re recruiting me but they haven’t said anything about a scholarship yet,” Smith said.
Smith hasn’t attended any junior days and doesn’t have any planned.