Jaden Smith, a talented edge defender from West Charlotte, is now making his way to the SEC.

Smith, rated as a 4-star player by On3 and ESPN, initially committed to and enrolled at the University of Michigan. When Jim Harbaugh left for the NFL, Smith was allowed to back out of his commitment.

Following a second round of recruitment, Smith has opted to enroll at the University of Kentucky.

West Charlotte’s head coach, Sam Greiner, stated that Smith made a verbal commitment to attend Kentucky on Monday. The necessary paperwork is anticipated to be completed within the next few days.

According to ESPN, Smith is highly regarded and is ranked as the third best prospect in North Carolina and 92nd nationally in the class of 2024. He is currently recorded as being 6 feet and 2.5 inches tall and weighing 195 pounds.

In 2023, Smith was a standout defender for North Carolina and received a nomination for Defensive Player of the Year at HSOT Honors.

The First Team HighSchoolOT All-State player recorded a total of 91 tackles, with 62 being made independently, 25 resulting in a loss of yards, and 10 resulting in sacks. Additionally, he had 14 instances of pressuring the opposing quarterback, two instances of recovering a fumbled ball, three instances of blocking punts, two instances of blocking field goals, 13 successful disruptions of passes, one interception, and two defensive touchdowns.

In the previous autumn, West Charlotte had a record of 9-4 and ultimately lost to Crest, the top-ranked team, by a single point in the third round of 3A West playoffs organized by the N.C. High School Athletic Association.

Source: highschoolot.com