Penn State added commitment No. 24 for its Class of 2025 Thursda y, flipping St. Joseph’s Prep linebacker Cam Smith , who previously committed to Duke back in February.
Listed at 6-foot, 200 pounds, Smith totaled 72 tackles, 4.5 sacks and one interception during his junior season. He currently holds a four-star rating in On3’s Industry Rankings , coming in at No. 264 nationally and eighth overall in Pennsylvania. The Salem, N.J., native is also the sixth-ranked player in Penn State’s class.
Like so many other top linebackers throughout the region over the years, Smith noted that Penn State’s history at the position, as well as the program’s success overall under James Franklin , was a major reason he decided to make this switch.
“They have a great history at developing great linebackers and I have a chance to play on a big stage while aiming for a national championship,” Smith said. When asked if being closer to home had an impact, Smith added, “Proximity isn’t too big of a factor. I’d say the culture, standing and coaching separated them as well.”
So what should Penn State fans expect from Smith in the future? On3 Scouting Director Charles Power gives his thoughts here.
Charles Power on Penn State LB commit Cam Smith
Power: Cameron Smith is a versatile linebacker who’s battle-tested playing against top competition at St Joe’s. I think you have to start with his athleticism and ability to make plays in multiple ways. This is a guy who tests well and he transfers that over to the field in a high school setting. I think he projects as a skilled space linebacker and shows a good variety of skills.
As a junior, he’s able to play off the ball in the middle and plays the run well. I think he sees plays quickly, triggers and shows good instincts. He has solid physicality and shows a natural ability in space. He can cover and play on the outside, as well, so I think there are a lot of different things he can do from a skill perspective. I view him as an off-ball linebacker, for sure, and one who I think is going to probably be most comfortable playing in space. I think he has the potential to be a plus player in coverage, just kind of given how natural he is operating within space.
Moving forward, one of the biggest things for Cameron Smith is just continuing to get bigger. He has a good size frame with big hands and solid length, but he’s gonna need to continue adding weight. I think that’ll probably play a role in how he ends up long term.
But he’s also going to Penn State, who easily has one of the best strength and conditioning programs in the country. So, I think it’s a good fit for the prospect and the school. I think it’s a good marriage for what he needs. Penn State is set up to really get a lot out of him when it comes to that size gain that he needs. I believe Smith is also younger for the class as well, so he’s a guy who should continue to physically mature over the next year or two years. But he fits well with Penn State’s linebacker class because he brings a lot of versatility and that ability to play in space. So, it’s a nice pickup for Penn State. He’s one of the top players in Philadelphia this cycle.
The post On3 Scouting Director Charles Power breaks down 2025 Penn State linebacker Cam Smith appeared first on On3 .
Local News
Comments / 0