From The Road: On300 QB commit Carter Smith locked in with Michigan

*** I made my way to Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot this weekend to see On300 Michigan quarterback commit Carter Smith. There seemed to be some concern about Smith not making it to the BBQ at The Big House last weekend from the U-M fanbase. Obviously, you want your quarterback commit there do some recruiting. And yes, Smith was planning to be there. However, I spoke to both Smith and Bishop Verot head coach Richie Rode about the situation, and Smith canceled plans to participate in team activities. Bishop Verot has very limited time to practice before their massive matchup against national powerhouse Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas on Aug. 15. Smith wanted to put the team ahead of himself.

*** No, there is no reason to worry about Smith’s commitment to Michigan because he missed the event. He told me that he is still very happy with his commitment and plans to enroll early. Smith expressed disappointment about not being able to attend the BBQ, but again, it had everything to do with practicing with his high school team and nothing to do with his commitment status. Some have asked if the pledge of Top 100 2026 quarterback Brady Hart is affecting Smith. I can tell you that Hart jumping in the fold early is not having a negative impact on Smith. Remember, Smith played a role in helping Hart side with the Wolverines. Hart told me he wanted Smith to be at the BBQ, so they could spend some time together. The relationship there is solid.

*** While Smith did not attend the BBQ at The Big House, he has continued to work on top Michigan targets, including five-star offensive tackle Andrew Babalola and Top 100 wide receiver Andrew Marsh. Smith isn’t overly active on social media, but he has been exchanging messages with Babalola behind the scenes and has pitched him on the blend of elite academics and football in Ann Arbor. Smith spent extended time with Marsh on his official visit for Victors Weekend in June. The two golfed together and have formed a great friendship. I can tell you that Smith is feeling very optimistic about Marsh with a decision expected to come later this month.

*** Unfortunately, I did not get to watch Smith throw due to storms in the area canceling practice. This was really disappointing since I wanted to see Smith’s summer work with private quarterback coaches translate to practice. Smith has kept a pretty low profile this offseason, but he did make trips out to Jacksonville to work with Will Hewlett, who trains Brock Purdy, and also spent the latter part of his summer with Ken Mastrole in Southwest Florida. Mastrole is known for training Gardner Minshew, EJ Manuel and others. Overall, Smith really dedicated himself to improving as a pure passer and should be in contention to win Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the state of Florida for the second straight year. I’m extremely excited to see him in-game this season. We all know Smith is a dangerous runner. If he’s taken big steps as a passer, his ceiling is unlimited.

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