As eager as Brody Smith is to play his first year at Maryville in the 2024 TSSAA football season, college coaches are also itching to watch one of the premier offensive linemen in the Knoxville area.
The 6-foot-6, 270-pound junior is the No. 13 player in Tennessee and No. 30 offensive tackle in the 2026 class, according to the 247Sports Composite. He has offers from Tennessee, Penn State, Colorado, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Miami, Purdue, Marshall and others.
Smith, who is a transfer from Bearden, plans on taking about six official visits after his season and will continue improving upon his relationships with coaches.
The biggest factor in his college commitment is straightforward.
“Number one, for sure is just O-line coach,” Smith said. “I got to respect them and also they have to be able to develop me.”
Brody Smith on Tennessee football offer, Vols family ties
Smith cares about the college coaching staff and also doesn’t want to be too far from home, preferring a school less than an 11-hour drive. The school closest to him is Tennessee, which was the first program to offer him in June 2023.
His family also has ties to the Vols as his dad Lee Smith enrolled at Tennessee before playing the entirety of his college football career at Marshall. He was a fifth-round NFL draft pick and played tight end in the league from 2011-21.
Brody Smith’s grandfather Daryle Smith played at Tennessee from 1983-86 and played in the NFL as an offensive tackle from 1987-92. The youngest Smith’s familiarity with the Vols makes it a program he’ll view as among the highest of his offers.
“It definitely, 100% (going to) be one of my top schools,” said Brody Smith while wearing UT gloves during practice. “I like (offensive line) coach (Glen) Elarbee. They got something really good going on over there, and they’re gonna just keep getting better and better.”
Why Brody Smith transferred to Maryville from Bearden
Smith transferred from Bearden to Maryville in March. He attended spring practices, but was not eligible to participate because of TSSAA transfer rules.
“I didn’t see him with his cell phone out one time,” Maryville assistant Mike White said. “That for me set a tone for Brody about what he was here to do. He was all about business.”
Smith’s decision to go to Maryville was one he thought was best fit for his family and himself.
He thought the Maryville community and school system would be good for his two younger sisters and brother.
Joining the Rebels football team also meant being a part of one of the most storied traditions in Tennessee high school football. Maryville has the second-most football championships in state history with 17.
“Just an unbreakable culture is what I love,” Smith said.
Smith, who made the All-Region 2-6A team, is energized to contribute heavily at left tackle alongside Air Force commit Alex Boyd as the right tackle.
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White and Maryville coach Derek Hunt both feel confident in the offensive line. Along with talent, their camaraderie is evident.
“(Brody’s) assimilated into that group,” White said. “Those offensive linemen, they already look like a cohesive unit. They seem to enjoy each other.”
Ever since Smith was invited to eat with the linemen after his first practice at Maryville, he speaks with his teammates every day. Now fully embraced into the football family, the next step for him and the Rebels is to be better than its Class 6A second-round finish last year. They want state title No. 18.
“We’re in a four-year drought of no state (championship),” Smith said. “That’s not normal here.”
Toyloy Brown III is a Knox News sports reporter. Email toyloy.brown@knoxnews.com. On X, formerly Twitter, @TJ3rd_.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Tennessee football: Brody Smith on Vols offer, Maryville transfer
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