Notre Dame Football Recruiting
2019 TX ATH Smith More Than Ready for Irish Invasion
June 7, 2017
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2019 Dulles (Texas) athlete Ainias Smith got a quick look at the Notre Dame program last fall and has wanted to check out life in South Bend since he saw the Irish play. This weekend he will get the opportunity as he will make the trip to the Midwest for Irish Invasion.
“I am very excited to camp at Notre Dame,” the 5-foot-9, 181-pounder told Irish Sports Daily. “I have been planning this trip since last year when I got the game invite to the game in San Antonio.
“I saw them play Army at the Alamodome last year.”
Smith had thought about staying until Sunday to see Notre Dame more in-depth, but he is expected to get out of South Bend for another camp.
“I was thinking about staying, but I have a UCLA camp the next day, so I am probably flying out to California to attend that camp,” stated Smith.
The Texas native is no stranger to the recruiting process or college football as his brother, Maurice, played cornerback at Alabama before transferring to Georgia last summer.
The two brothers have been compared, and some say Ainias could end up the better of the two.
“I always hear that, and he was a really good athlete when he was my age,” explained Smith. “I believe I have the athletic potential and work ethic to go past where he was when he was my age.”
To this point, Smith holds one offer from Georgia, but his list is sure to grow over the summer.
“Georgia is high on the list, and there are a whole bunch of schools recruiting right now,” Smith stated. “I just came from the UTSA camp and UCLA has high interest in me. Nebraska wants me to come up there on the 23rd for camp.
“Going through the process and being recruited early always feels good. It’s a good thing to have other people to meet at these camps and learn more from what they already know. To be able to get an offer from the SEC says a lot about me and my play. The SEC is definitely at the top of the top.”
The camp circuit will be big for Smith as he projects at receiver or defensive back at the next level. In fact, he has been working out on both sides of the ball recently.
“I go both ways, and I am very versatile,” Smith said of his strengths. “I can move around. I am very smart, and my IQ is definitely high. I believe I am a coach on the field.
“Most coaches have told me they are recruiting me as an athlete. Coaches have wanted me to play both ways at camps. Most of the time, I start at defensive back and switch to receiver as the camp goes on.”
Smith also knows what he is looking for in a program and will use his visits to see what schools can offer him, but he will also be paying close attention to the small details.
“I can say I definitely know what I want in a program,” said Smith. “I want the opportunity to play where I want to play and follow the academic path that I choose and not one that is chosen for me. I don’t want to have my academic structured around the football programs schedule.
“I also want trust the coaches and not be told about ‘promises that won’t happen.”
“I am very excited to camp at Notre Dame,” the 5-foot-9, 181-pounder told Irish Sports Daily. “I have been planning this trip since last year when I got the game invite to the game in San Antonio.
“I saw them play Army at the Alamodome last year.”
Smith had thought about staying until Sunday to see Notre Dame more in-depth, but he is expected to get out of South Bend for another camp.
“I was thinking about staying, but I have a UCLA camp the next day, so I am probably flying out to California to attend that camp,” stated Smith.
The Texas native is no stranger to the recruiting process or college football as his brother, Maurice, played cornerback at Alabama before transferring to Georgia last summer.
The two brothers have been compared, and some say Ainias could end up the better of the two.
“I always hear that, and he was a really good athlete when he was my age,” explained Smith. “I believe I have the athletic potential and work ethic to go past where he was when he was my age.”
To this point, Smith holds one offer from Georgia, but his list is sure to grow over the summer.
“Georgia is high on the list, and there are a whole bunch of schools recruiting right now,” Smith stated. “I just came from the UTSA camp and UCLA has high interest in me. Nebraska wants me to come up there on the 23rd for camp.
“Going through the process and being recruited early always feels good. It’s a good thing to have other people to meet at these camps and learn more from what they already know. To be able to get an offer from the SEC says a lot about me and my play. The SEC is definitely at the top of the top.”
The camp circuit will be big for Smith as he projects at receiver or defensive back at the next level. In fact, he has been working out on both sides of the ball recently.
“I go both ways, and I am very versatile,” Smith said of his strengths. “I can move around. I am very smart, and my IQ is definitely high. I believe I am a coach on the field.
“Most coaches have told me they are recruiting me as an athlete. Coaches have wanted me to play both ways at camps. Most of the time, I start at defensive back and switch to receiver as the camp goes on.”
Smith also knows what he is looking for in a program and will use his visits to see what schools can offer him, but he will also be paying close attention to the small details.
“I can say I definitely know what I want in a program,” said Smith. “I want the opportunity to play where I want to play and follow the academic path that I choose and not one that is chosen for me. I don’t want to have my academic structured around the football programs schedule.
“I also want trust the coaches and not be told about ‘promises that won’t happen.”
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