ESPN.com - High school freshman receives big offer

ESPN.com: PSU Nittany Lions

Friday, January 11, 2013
High school freshman receives big offer

By Josh Moyer

Rahshaun Smith, a high school freshman, can't yet drive without supervision -- he's just 15 years old -- but he already received his fourth scholarship offer Friday from another major football program.

This time, Penn State's coaching staff called the coaches over at Towson (Md.) Calvert Hall and told them they saw enough after watching this season's highlight tape. Bill O'Brien and his staff wanted him as a class of 2016 prospect.

"Actually, my coaches were telling me throughout the season that Penn State would be on me, and they really liked my film," Smith said Friday. "I was there at camp last year, and they liked my performance. And when my coach finalized my highlight tape at the end of the season, that's when they pulled the trigger."

Smith spoke on the phone after practicing driving around with his learner's permit. He won't turn 16 until March, but he already boasts scholarship offers from Boston College, Maryland and Youngstown State.

He stands 6-foot-3, 230 pounds -- his friends call him Shaq -- and ESPN currently projects him as an inside linebacker. Calvert Hall assistant coach Devin Redd said Friday most schools are looking at him as either a defensive end or a linebacker, but Redd felt his future was in the trenches.

Smith currently plays defensive end and tight end for Calvert Hall. And three Calvert Hall alumni -- Adrian Amos, Trevor Williams, Da'Quan Davis -- are already on PSU's roster.

"I've always liked Penn State, even through the situation they went through," Smith said. "I had my big brother, Adrian Amos, up there. And I still see those guys up there now. They stayed after it and, with all they went through, they still had a successful season.

"I always liked Penn State and, after I saw they still had a successful season, it's like anything can happen. So that's definitely a plus seeing what went down."

Smith plans to again visit Penn State over the summer for a camp. He likes the Nittany Lions' tradition, appreciates the plain uniforms and likes watching them get off the bus to a throng of fans dressed in blue and white.

The freshman has already garnered early interest from the likes of Alabama and Ohio State, and he could already be on pace to be one of the bigger names in his class. For now, he's just trying to take his recruitment in and look forward to the future.

"It's been a great experience," he said.