Smith excited about latest offer

The offers continue to roll in for Moreno Valley (Calif.) Rancho Verde offensive lineman Tyron Smith. The talented line prospect picked up yet another offer earlier today from a school he said he was barely hearing from just a week or so ago.

Smith, 6-5, 260 pounds is a big time prospect with as much upside as any player in the West this year. He was the MVP of the SoCal NIKE Camp last year and has the physical tools to play guard or tackle in college.

"I go back and forth on where he'll play," RV coach Pete Duffy said. "I think he could play anywhere but I really think tackle is his best position.

"He's all of 6-5 and still growing and has the wing span of a 6-8 kid. He's so quick and athletic that I think he's the guy you want matched up with another team's speed rushers. There isn't a more athletic lineman around and I think you want those guys playing tackle."

Smith picked up early offers from Arizona and Mississippi and it seems a new one comes in every day. The lineman attended USC's Junior Day on Saturday and left with an offer from the Trojans.

"I was real surprised by that because I've only gotten just a couple of letters from them previously," Smith said. "I missed most the junior day, the campus tour and all that. Traffic was so bad that me and my coach didn't get there until halftime of the basketball game.

"I met with the coaches and we talked for a long time. Then coach Carroll pulled me aside and said, 'I'm not letting you leave here without offering you.' That was pretty cool and I'm very high on SC right now.

"Notre Dame just offered me too and those two along with UCLA and Arizona are my top four schools right now. UCLA is still my leader but I definitely plan on coming back to SC to check things out because I really didn't get a chance to do that since I was so late.

"I was at UCLA's Junior Day and just loved it there. They haven't offered yet but said they're waiting on my transcripts and could be offering soon. It's hard to compare those two schools, UCLA and USC, because like I said, I didn't get a chance to check out SC. I'll probably camp with them this spring and that will be a good opportunity for me to see what they're all about."