Tag: Corey Smith

Top five running backs signed to the Big Ten during early signing period

We cover the top five running backs to sign with the Big Ten during the early signing period. #GoBucks

The early signing period is in the books and the newly expanded Big Ten added a wealth of talent.

It would take too long to evaluate every prospect in one piece, but we have already dived into the top incoming gunslingers entering the conference. Now we wanted to provide the top five running back recruits who have signed with Big Ten teams during the early signing period, according to the 247Sports composite.

It should make Ohio State fans happy that despite the drama surrounding the flip of one highly ranked running back, the Buckeyes were able to pull in one of the best running backs in the state of Texas and in the whole country, which will be the highest ranked recruit on this list.

The Big Ten snagged five of the top 25 running back prospects in the country, which is a big number but much lower than the quarterback list. Regardless, let’s dive into the haul we saw.

Biggest theme of Penn State’s 2024 class: balance

Penn State’s 2024 class offers one of the more balanced recruiting hauls in the country.

With the first and busiest day of the college football early signing period behind us, we can confirm that Penn State signed all 25 of its Class of 2024 commits earlier today. It was a “drama-free” signing day according to [autotag]James Franklin[/autotag] who spoke after all the commits had signed. The class is now locked in for next year so let’s break it down.

Penn State returns a boatload of starting-caliber players from last season but will lose several starters to the NFL with more expected to announce in the coming month. Penn State has never been a heavy transfer portal school and relies mainly on keeping its returning players intact while reloading with a strong freshman class.

This years’ class is ranked 14th in the country by 247Sports Composite and 16th by On3. With 12 offensive commits and 13 defensive commits this year’s group is evenly balanced eluding to the fact that Franklin and his staff want to add quality depth around the board and fill in any neccessary holes from departing players.

From a positon standpoint is was more of the same type of balance across the board:

  • 7 skill players: QB [autotag]Ethan Grunkemeyer[/autotag], running backs [autotag]Quintin Martin[/autotag] and [autotag]Corey Smith[/autotag], wide recievers [autotag]Josiah Brown[/autotag], [autotag]Tyseer Denmark[/autotag], and [autotag]Peter Gonzalez[/autotag], tight end [autotag]Luke Reynolds[/autotag]
  • 5 offensive lineman: [autotag]Eagan Boyer[/autotag], [autotag]Caleb Brewer[/autotag], [autotag]Cooper Cousins[/autotag], [autotag]Donovan Harbour[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Sexton[/autotag]
  • 6 defensive lineman: [autotag]Liam Andrews[/autotag], [autotag]DeAndre Cook[/autotag], [autotag]T.A. Cunningham[/autotag], [autotag]Xavier Gilliam[/autotag], [autotag]Jaylen Harvey[/autotag], and [autotag]Mylachi Williams[/autotag]
  • 5 secondary players: cornerbacks Antoine Belgrave-Shorter, Kenneth Woseley, Jon Mitchell, and safties Dejuan Lane, and Vaboue Toure
  • 2 linebackers: Kari Jackson and Anthony Specca

No one position or side of the ball dominated the 2024 recruiting cycle for Penn State, but thats a good thing because it shows that Penn State has talent everywhere. Three wide recievers were added to arguably the worst room in 2023 and a playmaking running back was added to a room featuring two former 5-star recruits. The trenches were reloaded with talent and many of the offensive line commits should challenge for starting spots in their first year.

In the time of the transfer portal and NIL perhaps a early signing day like the one Penn State had today is not exciting, but it does not matter Franklin’s method of “underpromise, overdeliver” method still produces wins. It has in the past. Penn State’s 2024 class is balanced, solid, and most importantly adds talent across the board which is key for sustained success.

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Early Signing Day Tracker: Say hello to Penn State’s Class of 2024

The early signing period for college football is officially open as schools around the country are locking in their entire, if not the vast majority, of their recruiting classes for the Class of 2024. Penn State will be among the schools expecting …

The early signing period for college football is officially open as schools around the country are locking in their entire, if not the vast majority, of their recruiting classes for the Class of 2024. Penn State will be among the schools expecting to receive signed National Letters of Intent from their verbal commitments to make things official. There could always be a player or two who hold off until the traditional signing period in February for one reason or another, but Penn State is hoping for a pretty simple and straightforward opening to the early signing period.

Here is a look at each player who committed to Penn State in the Class of 2024 recruiting calendar and an update on which players have signed in the early signing period.

Lions make changes to the strength and conditioning coaching staff

The Detroit Lions have hired two new assistant coaches to the strength and conditioning staff and parted ways with another

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The Detroit Lions have made some changes to their strength and conditioning coaching staff in advance of training camp. The Lions hired two new assistant coaches and have parted ways with another assistant.

Gone is former assistant coach Morris Henry, who had been with the Lions since the 2000 NFL season. No official announcement of any dismissal has been made but Henry no longer appears on the team’s official website.

In his place are two new coaches, Emmanuel “EJ” Hibbler and Corey Smith. Both come to Detroit from the college ranks. Smith most recently served as the strength and conditioning AD for Abilene Christian University in Texas.

Hibbler has years of experience working in the field beyond football. He spent some time at Michigan State working with the women’s volleyball team, and he also worked on the Arkansas Razorbacks football staff when Lions CB Jerry Jacobs was on the team.

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Penn State’s 2024 football commitment tracker

An updated look at Penn State’s Class of 2024 following its most recent commitment.

Penn State pulled in a terrific Class of 2022 and got started with its Class of 2023 with some nice additions. But the work is already underway for the Class of 2024. Penn State received its first commitment to the Class of 2024 in January 2022 with some help on the offensive line in the commitment of in-state offensive tackle Cooper Cousins.

We’ll keep track of every commitment to Penn State’s Class of 2024 with this updated commitment tracker. Of course, this being the world of college football recruiting, there are bound to be some decommitments and twists and turns along the way, but we’ll keep track of those as well should they arise.

This tracker will be updated as necessary, with the most recent update being made on April 29, 2023.

Penn State adds four-star running back Corey Smith to Class of 2024

Penn State is adding another four-star player to its Class of 2024 recruiting haul.

In recent memory, Penn State continues to build one of its more impressive recruiting classes as it secured another commitment on Friday. Wisconsin running back [autotag]Corey Smith[/autotag] made himself the second player from the state to commit this week when he decided to shut down his recruiting and commit to the Nittany Lions.

The four-star running back committed to Penn State over Boston College and Central Michigan, and Big Ten rival Illinois. Smith will be the first official running back in the Nittany Lions’ 2024 class, but listed athlete and commit Quinton Martin is expected to play in the backfield once he gets on campus. Smith becomes the 13th player to commit to the 2024 class and adds depth to an already highly ranked class that trails only number one ranked Michigan for best class in the Big Ten.

The Wisconsin native has an athletic background despite not being listed as one. He is a dual star athlete in his native state as he has also shown out as a track and field athlete with impressive numbers including a 100-meter dash time of 11.17.

Smith hopes to join the likes of [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] and [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] as they hopes to make Penn State a running back school once again.

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Miami Senior HS Coach Corey Smith killed in shooting

Miami Senior High School Coach Corey Smith was killed in a fatal shooting at his home, according to the Miami Herald. Per the Herald: The week after Thanksgiving, Miami Senior High School football coach Corey Smith’s brother was killed in a chaotic …

Miami Senior High School Coach Corey Smith was killed in a fatal shooting at his home, according to the Miami Herald.

Per the Herald:

The week after Thanksgiving, Miami Senior High School football coach Corey Smith’s brother was killed in a chaotic highway chase and shootout involving a hijacked UPS truck and several South Florida police agencies. Not long after, Smith’s teenage nephew, who had just lost his father, moved into the coach’s Northwest Miami-Dade home.

Now that teen is a suspect in the Monday morning shooting death of Smith at his uncle’s home in the West Little River neighborhood, according to multiple law enforcement sources. Smith died after being shot multiple times and his nephew, whose name has not yet been released, was the only other person known to be on the property, police said.

Luther Campbell, long associated with Miami football programs and a famed musician, passed along condolences.

“Corey had a great heart and a great soul,” friend Terrence Jones told Miami Herald news partner WFOR Channel 4. “He would give his last breath to make sure individuals in the community lived up to what they could. He just did everything he could to help the community and those in the school system.”

Smith, 46, was married and a graduate of Miami High and Bethune-Cookman University. Miami High’s lone season under Smith ended with a 9-4 record.