Outstanding wide receiver Derick Smith has committed to the University of Alabama, according to Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports.
BREAKING: Elite in-state prospect Derick Smith, who does it all on Friday nights, commits to #Alabama
"Just the new coaching staff and feel like they have something big ahead of them and I want to be a part of it," Smith told 247Sports.
STORY: https://t.co/UnNmzcNcdu pic.twitter.com/1YcQA41z2D
— Steve Wiltfong (@SWiltfong247) March 11, 2024
"BREAKING: Elite in-state prospect Derick Smith, who does it all on Friday nights, commits to #Alabama," Wiltfong said.
Smith, from Southside High School in Selma, Alabama, chose the in-state Crimson Tide over programs including Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Texas and more.
He's the fifth commit the Crimson Tide have secured after Kalen DeBoer took over as head coach following Nick Saban's retirement.
Smith is the No. 51 prospect in the nation, according to 247Sports.
"Just the new coaching staff and feel like they have something big ahead of them and I want to be a part of it," Smith told 247Sports.
As a junior, Smith ran for 1,036 yards and nine touchdowns. He also had 1,487 receiving yards and 14 touchdowns, averaging 32 yards per catch. He also had two passing touchdowns and 286 passing yards.
Defensively, he had 74 tackles, 11 sacks and three fumble recoveries. As a sophomore, he also had eight interceptions.
"He can do anything on the football field," said Smith's 7v7 coach, Adrian Steele of All Gas Athletes. "Kid is one of the best playmakers in the country. He has excellent hands, a great feel for the game and is just a tremendous overall talent. His ceiling is extremely high at the next level."
Smith visited with DeBoer in February.
"It was good," Smith said of the experience. "The standard like (DeBoer) said, the Bama standard, before Nick Saban retired, the standard he said is the same standard.
"It's a lot that I like about them. Bama it's a good place. It's where you want to be to get drafted and go to the NFL and go the next level."
However, it's unclear what position Smith will play at Alabama.
"They said it's an argument every time they have a meeting about me," Smith said.
The Crimson Tide are coming off a season in which they lost to the Michigan Wolverines in the first round of the College Football Playoff. Saban retired after that. In his place is DeBoer, the former Washington Huskies head coach whose team lost the national championship game Jan. 8 to Michigan.
