The Peach State continues to bear fruit for Indiana.
Top-200 class of 2021 Georgia based wide receiver Jaquez Smith announced on Saturday afternoon his verbal commitment to play for the Hoosiers.
Smith made the announcement on his Twitter page.
C O M M I T T E D❤️🤍#LEO🔴⚪️ pic.twitter.com/k0Razkcp6l
— Jaquez Smith (@jaquezsmith21) August 15, 2020
The 6-foot-1 and 190 pound Smith is the third Georgia based recruit to join Indiana’s 2021 class, and the second wide receiver. Fellow Peach State pass catcher Jordyn Williams committed to IU earlier in the year.
Smith is the No. 173 player overall in the class of 2021 according to the 247Sports Composite, making him a 4-star recruit and the second highest rated player to commit to IU in the recruiting service rankings era. Smith is the No. 31 ranked wide receiver in the class of 2021.
“Indiana really started coming on strong over the summer and we had that bond quickly,” Smith told Rivals’ Chad Simmons. “Things really heated up in July with Indiana. They talked to me a lot, they made me feel important and I feel like it is a great place for me.
“Everything just matched up for me on and off the field with Indiana.
“When I told coach (wide receiver coach Grant) Heard about my decision a week ago (August 9), it was exciting. We were just having a normal conversation on FaceTime, then I dropped my commitment on him. He started running down the hallway to coach Tom Allen’s office and everyone was excited. It was a great feeling for all of us and I am excited about the future at Indiana.”
Perhaps due in part to the promise of playing with quarterback Michael Penix, Indiana has landed a 4-star wide receiver for the second straight season. Michigan based IU freshman Rashawn Williams was ranked No. 351 nationally in the 2020 class.
Smith recently transferred to Westlake High School after playing his junior season at Hapeville Charter Career Academy in College Park, Ga., just outside Atlanta.
247Sports national recruiting editor Brandon Huffman provides this evaluation of Smith on his profile page at that service:
Trusty receiver with good size and range, strong hands and crisp route running. Able to get yards after contact, difficult to press and superb play strength to catch passes. Good body control and ability to adjust to throws, make the catch, then cut and go. Not a true burner but gets consistent separation. Projects as multi-year Power 5 starter and third-day NFL draft selection.
Smith previously announced a top six that included Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, Minnesota and Colorado.
Led by assistant coach Grant Heard, IU entered the mix relatively late, offering a scholarship in July.
Smith received more than 30 offers, and the list included powerhouse names such as Alabama, Georgia and Notre Dame.
Indiana now has 14 verbal commitments in its 2021 class. With limited seniors on their roster, the Hoosiers are likely to take between 15 and 17 players in the class.
With the addition of Smith, Indiana is expected to jump approximately 10 spots in the 247Sports Composite class of 2021 team rankings.
To see a complete summary of IU’s 2021 class, GO HERE.
For more on Indiana’s top all-time rated recruits, GO HERE.
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