3-Star Edge Surprised, Intrigued by Washington Offer
The Washington football program expanded its recruiting footprint on Wednesday with a trio of offers going out to prospects from a solitary high school in Alabama.
Caleb Smith, a 6-foot-5, 258-pound defensive end from Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama, was one of the three players offered by Husky secondary coach John Richardson and recruiting staffer Armond Hawkins.
"It [caught me] totally off guard," Smith told Inside the Huskies after receiving his first Big Ten offer from UW.
The Huskies also offered his fellow defensive-line teammate in 4-star Auburn commit Jourdin Crawford and 5-star cornerback Na'eem Offord when the coaches stopped by Parker High.
Smith, a 3-star recruit according to 247Sports, already held scholarship offers from Arkansas, Georgia Tech, Louisville and West Virginia prior to the Washington getting involved.
He's taken unofficial visits to Auburn, Kentucky, Mississippi State, Missouri and Vanderbilt, which have yet to offer but could join the mix in the coming months.
After playing in nine of 14 games as a junior for Parker High and finishing with 17 tackles, Smith has drawn the attention of recruiters who like what they see while envisioning him at the next level.
After starting out as a center, Smith was attracted to playing defensive end because "that's where all the action is." Now grown into his body at the high school level, he says he's been able to utilize his strengths, which are size and speed.
Over the next few months, Smith is expected to make a number of unofficial visits and UW could be in that mix. At this point, his recruitment is wide open.
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