Tracy Smith excited for son Jack to be part of ASU football program
Mountain Pointe quarterback Jack Smith has moved plenty over the past few years. First it was from Indiana to Arizona when his father Tracy took the baseball head coaching job at ASU. After committing to UNLV in July, he decommitted in November and gave his verbal to NAU in December.
So what’s one more change?
Smith flipped his commitment to ASU the day after national signing day and will play safety for the Sun Devils, choosing to forego his chance of sitting under center for a team that would have allowed him to play quarterback.
“I know there are some guilty feelings,” Tracy said. “He also struggled. It’s nothing against the NAU coach, they did a fantastic job.”
He was ranked as the No. 13 best recruit in the state and a three-star recruit by Rivals. At 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Smith could certainly afford to bulk up, but one of his most impressive attributes is his speed where he pushes a 4.5 40-yard dash time.
“If you feel like someone is improving their scenario and it's in the best interest of them, then it’s a positive,” Tracy said. “At the end of the day being in this business, which I am, I don’t care whether I’ve had an assistant coach or someone who has worked with me or even my situations when I’ve moved from a different job.”
The son of the Sun Devil head coach chose ASU over offers from Eastern Michigan, New Mexico State and Florida Atlantic University plus his two previous commitments to NAU and UNLV. As decision day neared, the father offered some advice to his son.
“As I said to him at the end of the day that I know you’re torn here and feel badly,” Tracy said. “But I would think a lot of those individuals, and I don’t want to speak for them, but if they had an opportunity to enhance their situation they would probably do it too.”
The definition of a dual-threat quarterback, he had 2,005 yards passing and 15 touchdowns as well as 932 yards rushing (8.2 yards per carry) with nine touchdowns as a senior at Mountain Pointe, helping his team to the state semifinals before falling to Centennial.
As for the safety position, Smith has work to do outside gaining weight. He’ll be playing a new position and tackling at the Division I level isn’t easy. ASU has plenty of better options with some experience such as redshirt junior James Johnson, sophomore Kareem Orr as well as junior Chad Adams. Not to mention the host of other players in the class of 2016 who could get a look at the position.
“It’s a little pressure on him but he’s excited about it, we’re excited about it,” Tracy said. “He has earned it and I’m anxious to see how his career goes.”
