Picayune Memorial (Mississippi) offensive tackle [autotag]Mitchell Smith[/autotag] is one of the more recent offers for Florida, and the Gators got a chance to host him for their first junior day of January.
Smith already had plans to visit Florida, but he locked in the date once offensive line coach Jonathan Decoster extended a scholarship in the week leading up to the trip. The two spent time together with Florida’s other offensive line coach, Rob Sale, last Saturday, according to Swamp247.
“Getting to put a name to a face. That was a big thing for me, personally,” Smith said to 247Sports. “We sat down in the offensive line meeting room and we went over some basic stuff. Got to see the way they teach and whatnot. I like how they do things. They have like three or four offensive line coaches to teach and help you.”
Smith left impressed with Florida’s developmental ability and might still be raving about the facilities available in Gainesville.
“I’d definitely say (Florida’s) high up there now,” he said. “I wouldn’t say I’m a diehard Florida fan, but I’ve always followed the program and whatnot. Started following and learning about Tim Tebow when he was there, so they’re definitely up there when it comes to my recruiting path.”
Florida isn’t the only Power Four team hosting Smith during the winter. He was at Florida State in December for a junior day, made his way to Ole Miss earlier this month and hit LSU after Florida. Auburn and Mississippi State are other programs looking to get him on campus in February.
Smith’s recruitment picked up during the fall of 2023 when his sophomore tape began circulating. Louisiana-Lafayette was the only team to host him for a camp between ninth and 10th grade, but the in-state trio of Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Miss joined the race before the year got out. Alabama was another early player in his recruitment.
Then, he transferred to IMG Academy for his junior year and his offer sheet filled up with SEC programs. Florida offered him most recently ahead of his junior day visit. Now set to finish his high school career back in Mississippi, Smith looks like a rising star in the offensive line market.
Florida is recruiting him as an interior lineman but he’ll get a shot to play tackle too because of his size. Where he ends up depends on how he looks, but the flexibility is part of the Gators’ pitch.
| Service | Star Rating | Natl. Rank | Pos. Rank | State Rank |
| 247Sports Composite |  |
462 | 35 | 15 |
| On3 Industry Ranking | |
497 | 30 | 15 |
| Top247 | |
N/A | 51 | 22 |
| On300 | |
N/A | 147 | 19 |
| ESPN | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Rivals | |
N/A | 32 | 51 |
Scouting Report
“There’s already plenty of buzz inside IMG Academy’s football facilities about Smith, and it’s easy to see why,” 247Sports scouting director Andrew Ivings wrote in a March report. “He punished defenders as a sophomore at Mississippi’s Picayune Memorial and carries his weight well. We really liked what we saw out of Smith during drive-blocking drills as he shot out of his stance.
Height: 6-4.5
Weight: 325
Visit History
Ole Miss gameday visit in 2023. Alabama, LSU and Mississippi State camp visits in June 2024. Florida (Jan. 18) and Florida State (Dec. 21) Junior Day.
2024 Gameday visits:
- Oct. 12; LSU vs. Ole Miss
- Oct. 26; Alabama vs. Missouri
- Nov. 30; Florida State vs. Florida
Crystal Ball/Predictions
With no official predictions submitted, the On3 recruiting prediction machine favors LSU with 29.2% odds, closely followed by Ole Miss (25.6%) and Florida (21.9%). There are 14 other programs tied for fourth place with 1.7% apiece.
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