Kadarius Smith commits to SMU
Tuesday was not Plano offensive lineman Kadarius Smith's first time on the SMU campus but this time, he told the HillTopics, it just felt right. It was time for him to pony up.
Smith committed to the SMU staff while on his visit, becoming the 13th member of the Mustangs' 2016 class.
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"I took a visit today and I had been on the campus before and it didn't feel right but this time it felt perfect," Smith said. "The football now isn't there but the plans for the future and the vision for the program is there."
Beyond excited to announce that the next four years of my football career, I will be ballin' out at... pic.twitter.com/mAhNGYnDzD— Kaydee™ (@Kaydee_66) June 16, 2015
What made the decision easy for Smith, who held offers from Texas Tech, San Diego State, New Mexico, Air Force and Texas State, was his relationship with the SMU coaching staff.
"The coaches were more concerned about my well-being than my athletic output. They were concerned that I graduate with a degree," Smith said. "They all recruited me the same. Coach (Jess) Loepp, coach (Dustin) Fry, coach (Joe) Craddock, coach (Keith) Gunn. They all recruited me hard."
Fry and Craddock were in the room with Chad Morris when Smith delivered the good news.
"(Morris) went nuts," Smith said laughing. "We were all in a room. They didn't expect me to commit. I'd thought about it but today I figured it was time. They all went crazy."
Smith, who wants to study business or sports management in school, says that Morris is the perfect head coach for him.
"That's the ideal head coach right there," Smith said. "He's just everything a head coach should be and more. He has an energy and his philosophy, the way he was talking to me not just about football but about life. He's like a father."
Another DFW native, Smith is excited about joining so many players from the area to play at SMU. But being close to home was not a deal breaker for Smith.
"It didn't matter where it was. If SMU was in Oklahoma I'd still go," Smith said.