EXCLUSIVE: Two-Sport Star Jacob Smith Talks NC State Commitment
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The North Carolina State Wolfpack has already landed many different commitments, including one who is very specific. He is one of the better players in the class, but not only as he committed for the football team, but he has also committed to play North Carolina State baseball.
That player is Jacob Smith who recently caught up with North Carolina State Wolfpack On SI to detail his commitment to both football and baseball along with talking about many other key details that fans should know about his recruitment. Here is what he had to say.
“They were completely different from everyone on the football side of things because I was committed to baseball so early, and I was committed to baseball throughout the recruiting process. Obviously, that was a pull factor, because I was already committed to baseball, and I felt from an early time that NC State was where I wanted to be. I would just say the biggest thing on the football side of things was my relationship with Coach Roper and Coach Doeren. They have been great to me throughout the whole recruiting process, and they continue to be every day. Besides the relationship factor, it would be the culture at NC State. You’re going to put your hand in the dirt and work for what you’re going to get. vs. you know how other schools, culture isn’t how they portray it to be, so I feel like NC State is true to their culture. Alongside all of that, it’s the proximity to home. It’s important that I’m close so my parents can come watch every single game. I feel like those are the biggest reasons of why I chose NC State in the long run.”
As mentioned, he is committed to both the football and baseball teams. He details how special it is for him to play both.
“It’s special. Honestly, it’s a dream come true. If I were looking back when I was 8 years old, I would be shocked at myself. Being a kid, you always dream of playing sports your whole life. I fell in love with both baseball and football from an early age, so to work hard enough to be given the opportunity to play both at the highest level you can do it is pretty special. I’m grateful to be able to do it and thankful God gave me the ability to do it. It isn’t easy, so I put a ton of work in. I’m grateful for the NC State coaches for allowing me to do it and give me the opportunity to do it.”
Will the prospect be locking his commitment down at this time?
“I’m done visiting other places. I haven’t visited anywhere else since early summer of 2024, so, you know, at this point in my recruitment NC State is where I want to be, and I plan on signing the papers in Early December to go to NC State.”
The NC State commit recently had a successful peer recruitment, as he helped bring a player to the Pack.
“I would say the biggest target that I had just committed, Jaire Richburg. If you ask him, it’s been about a year, so that was a guy that I wanted to go with me in the red and black, and was fortunate enough to grow a relationship with him, and in the long run, I helped him make the same decision I made and commit to NC State.”
Smith left off with a chilling, but fired up statement for the fans.
“I would just say my message to NC State is that you’re getting a kid who is going to put his life on the line to win ball games. I feel like that’s not the only reason to play this game, but the main reason to play this game is because you want to win. You’re getting tough, kid, who is going to work his tail off and is going to do what he can to win, but at the same time in the next couple of years, it’s going to be crazy because we've got some guys that’s going to make some noise.”
Caleb Sisk is a talented sports journalist from the state of Georgia. Originally from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Sisk's passion for sports grew. Bringing years of recruiting coverage experience, he has been named a National Recruiting Reporter and covers various college sites on the On SI network. He takes pride in covering recruiting and has been featured by numerous companies for his excellent coverage and knowledge. He has also spent time at other companies, including Rivals, where he covered the Tennessee Volunteers.