West Virginia first to offer 2019 Georgia DB
THE LATEST: West Virginia has had their eye on Loganville (Ga.) Grayson junior safety Jeremiah Smith for a while now and the Mountaineers came through with an offer recently.
First year defensive back coach Doug Belk delivered the news to the 6-foot-2, 171 pound defensive back and he now plans to visit West Virginia later this month.
IN HIS OWN WORDS: "It feels great to have my first offer," said Smith. "I’ve been working really hard and I just had to be patient. I knew they liked me but I just had to keep working.
"My teammates kept telling me to be patient and just keep grinding. West Virginia is a really good school and I’m thankful for the offer."
THE OFFER: "I have talked to coach Belk over the phone and he is the coach that offered me. He told me that he really liked my length and my film. He told me that I definitely fit what they are looking for in an aggressive safety. He told me that he has been hearing about me for a while."
FIRST MEANS SOMETHING: "I’m very interested in them. They are a Power 5 school and they play the exact defense I run in high school. My parents are big on loyalty and they believed in me first, so that is big."
INTEREST IN THE MOUNTAINEERS: "I am visiting up there October 28 for the Oklahoma State game. I want to see the campus, the environment and just how I would fit in the defense.
"I have interest in them and I like that they play in the Big 12, that they run the same defense (3-3 stack) that I play in and that they have a history of putting good safeties in the league."
RIVALS REACTION: You read it yourself: Smith is big on loyalty, so West Virginia offering first is something he won't forget. Others will likely offer soon. Cincinnati, Florida, Kentucky and Oklahoma among others are showing a lot of interest in Smith. He is a safety with great length and he is playing for one of the top teams in the country, so he has a lot of eyes on him. Look for his offer list to grow in the near future. His recruitment is just starting.
