Tennessee’s coaching staff is looking to add several talented cornerbacks in the 2019 recruiting class. Right now, they don’t have any commitments from a true corner in this cycle, but the Vols are in on a number of those players. And on Sunday, one of their targets at the position included the Vols in a list of his favorites.
Cameron Smith — who goes by Cam — is a borderline three-star/four-star cornerback from Blythewood, South Carolina. He’s been participating at Nike’s The Opening Finals this weekend, and on Sunday he tweeted out his top eight schools. And Tennessee made his list.
Top 8 ™️ pic.twitter.com/fDmHJ1Xj1O
— Cam Smith ひ (@cammtheegoat) July 1, 2018
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound corner picked up an offer from Tennessee back on May 15th, and his recruitment has really taken off since the Vols offered him. He’s added offers from North Carolina, Florida State, Georgia Tech, South Carolina, and Georgia since Tennessee offered him. He unofficially visited the Vols in early June, and he visited both Clemson and Georgia as well. The Bulldogs offered him after he visited, and he’s also visited North Carolina. He was invited to Nike’s The Opening Finals and has looked solid there so far.
According to 247Sports, Smith is the No. 340 overall player and is a four-star prospect. The composite rankings have him listed as the No. 372 overall player and a three-star, however. But there’s a good chance he moves up in the rankings after The Opening concludes.
A look at Smith’s film shows why teams like Tennessee have become very interested in Smith’s services at defensive back. Not only is he quick, but he’s also very physical and knows how to use his frame and length effectively. He has strong instincts and good vision in the defensive backfield, and he plays man coverage very well. He has long arms and uses them to break up passes that it looks like he won’t be able to get to in time. Smith plays receiver, cornerback, and even safety for Westwood, but he definitely projects as a corner in college.
As a junior, Smith totaled 55 tackles, 10 pass breakups, and three interceptions on defense. On offense, he was very efficient with his usage. He caught just 16 passes and carried the ball only 24 times, but he scored 10 times on those 40 total touches, totaling 269 receiving yards and 369 rushing yards in the process.
Right now, South Carolina is likely the favorite to land Smith. He plays in their backyard and has shown a lot of interest in the Gamecocks. But the Vols made an impression on him when he visited last month, and Tennessee’s coaches would like to have someone with Smith’s speed and length in their secondary.
