NorCals Finest RB Prospect

One of the top running backs out West next year will be Stockton (Calif.) Lincoln athlete Billy Smith. Smith had a big junior season earning 1st team All-State Underclass as well as Student Sports Junior All-American honors.

Smith, 5-9, 175 pounds played for one of the state's best teams a year ago. Lincoln was ranked in the state top 20 rankings most of the season and opened the season 11-0 before falling in the 2nd round of the playoffs to rival St. Mary's.

Smith was basically unstoppable all season rushing for 1,941 yards and 24 touchdowns. He could be the top running back in NorCal next year as well as one of the elite backs in the West region. Smith attended the recent Nike Combine at USC and looked solid running a 4.78 in the 40, 4.20 in the shuttle and jumped 32 inches in the vertical. Like we mentioned about another running back earlier in the week, North Hollywood's (Calif.) Marlon Lucky, Smith plays faster than his 40 times and is rarely ever caught from behind on the football field.

On the recruiting front, Smith has three schools he's strongly considering right now.

"UCLA is my top school followed by USC and Fresno State," Smith said. "I grew up a UCLA fan and have liked them for awhile. It's early though and I plan on taking my trips and don't want to commit anywhere early. I'll be going to the Nike Camp at Stanford in May but I'm not sure about what other camps I'll be attending this summer."