SEFFNER — One weekday morning in June, the Seffner Christian girls basketball team filed into the school's gymnasium for a summer workout. It wasn't even 8 a.m. yet, but the Crusaders immediately took to the court with a 3-on-3 drill.

Her teammates were supposed to hit the ground running, but all Peyton Walker saw was walking. 

"I think we missed like 100 layups," she recalled.

So when the practice was over, Walker told coach Greg Fawbush she needed to have a talk with the girls in the weight room. 

Walker, the reigning Times' Hillsborough County Player of the Year, led her team to the Class 3A state championship game in February, scoring 50 points and grabbing 32 rebounds in the Crusaders' two final four games. But, as the runnerup banner hanging in the corner of the gymnasium reminds her, the end result — a 65-51 loss to Miami Country Day — wasn't what they had set out to do.

Now one of just two returning seniors, it's finally Walker's team. And she wasn't about to let it slack off. 

"I'm not the best basketball player, but I feel like working hard is what brings me to different levels," she said. "I want them to understand that working hard can bring you so much, not just in basketball but in life."

• • •

The high school season might still be four months away, but Walker doesn't take any time off from the game. At the beginning of the summer, Walker found herself working out up to four times per day.

"Then my dad was like, 'You need to calm down,'" she said. "So then I just did two-a-days."

Though most of her time is spent at Seffner Christian's summer workouts or with her travel team, the East Tampa Thunder, Walker had a unique experience in May when she was invited to try out for the USA Basketball U17 national team. 

More than 107 girls began the five-day tryout, but soon, Walker was one of just 45 remaining and one of just seven  who hadn't tried out before to survive the cut. Her father, Rob, founder and president of the East Tampa Youth Basketball Association, knew exactly what made his daughter stand out.

Walker attended kindergarten through sixth grade in Europe, getting the majority of her basketball foundation playing club ball in Belgium. Overseas, Peyton Walker said, there's much more emphasis put on fundamentals of the game. 

"She came up in a system where they don't care if you're the tallest or the shortest," Rob Walker said. "If it's your turn to handle the ball, you handle the ball."

Walker, who has five college offers including Tennessee State and La Salle, wasn't one of the 13 chosen for the team. But she didn't waste time with disappointment.

"Truly going to that has made me a completely different person," she said. "It has brought my confidence to an entirely different level. It made me know that, if I work hard, I can compete."

• • •

When it fits into her schedule, former Seffner Christian guard Sabrina Whiting comes to the Crusaders' morning workouts to lend a hand. Last season Whiting and Walker combined for 1,135 — 56 percent of their offensive output.

But now that Whiting has graduated — and is headed to Emrby Riddle to play on its first ever girls basketball team — Walker's responsibility has grown. 

Whiting knows the Crusaders are in good hands. 

"Peyton's looking a lot better than the beginning of the summer," Whiting said. "She's a very powerful player. She's very strong and smart. Her shot has gotten so much better since her freshman year. It's very quick now."

Walker and Ally Parimore will be the only returning starters, but a handful of offseason transfers could ensure that the pair have as much help as they need.

In June, Fawbush announced that Riverview's Asia Royster, Armwood's Alyssa Nieves, Lakewood's Deja Swinton and Coral Springs Charter's Chelsie Hall — all offensive leaders on their previous teams — had transferred to Seffner Christian.

The move improved the Crusaders' state championship chances in one fell swoop, something that excites Walker. But she also knows that, even though it's her team, she won't likely be the only one leading the way.

"We've got to understand, 'Okay, we're not going to be scoring 20 points every night,'" Walker said. "It's going to be different, but then again, it's going to prepare me for college.

• • •

At the end of every workout, Fawbush puts somebody on the free-throw line. Make both shots, and the day is done. Miss one, and the team would run sprints up and down the court. 

Usually, it's up to Fawbush as to who will attempt the shots. Last Tuesday morning, Walker volunteered. 

"Peyton thinks she can send you home without making you run," Fawbush announced to the girls gathered around the basket. 

Standing up for her team, no matter the situation, is something on which Walker prides herself. And with two swishes of the net that morning, she did it once again.

Contact Kelly Parsons at kaparsons@tampabay.com. Follow @_kellyparsons.

TAMPA — Armwood finished Day 1 of the USF Sling N Shoot 7-on-7 tournament a perfect 5-0. But Sunday morning when they returned to the field to finish pool play, the Hawks found themselves in a little bit of trouble.

It was a close game with St. Petersburg Catholic, but the Hawks got a big defensive stop at the end to slip by. Seven hours later, that same Armwood team posed for pictures with the tournament bracket it had battled through, celebrating not just a 20-13 win against East Lake in the championship game, but, quarterback Noah Johnson said, the perseverance it took to get there.

“That’s what sparks our season. Our defense is always coming up with clutch plays,” Johnson said. “We do our job, and that’s all you can ask for right there.”

Armwood, which won all 12 games it played during the weekend, took an early lead against the Eagles in the final game on a Cordell Pimienta leaping touchdown grab in the corner of the endzone. The Eagles answered with a score of their own from Zack Jarman to tie the score at six. 

Armwood’s Trevor Laurent and East Lake’s Bryce Miller each scored to tie things once again at 13, but Pimienta came up with a huge reception for the Hawks on their next drive, which was then capped by a Dennis Harris winning touchdown grab.

Behind a receiving core full of veterans and emerging underclassmen, East Lake took home a runnerup finish.

Surprisingly for the East Lake, it wasn’t George Campbell who led the Eagles' air attack Sunday. Instead, rising sophomore Miller was quarterback Jake Hudson’s favorite target.

“George attracts so much attention to him, so all the safeties, corners and outside linebackers all flow to him and that leaves Bryce wide open,” Hudson said. “He played his butt off; that was the best I’ve ever seen out of him so far.”

Miller reeled in three passes in the Eagles' second-round win over St. Petersburg Catholic, with two of those grabs going for touchdowns.

The later the tournament got, the hotter Miller seemed to get. He caught two touchdowns in East Lake’s semifinal win over Battle of the Bay champion Alonso. This performance included two touchdowns, one with less than two minutes to play that would go on to be the winning score.

Miller continued his hot day into the final where he caught two passes, one of which went for a touchdown.

“It’s big experience for me; getting to play with top players is great,” Miller said.

For the Eagles, however, this performance is still one to grow from.

“Yeah it stinks to lose, but Armwood’s a great team, one of the best out there and to know that we stuck with them the whole time and came in second out of 52 teams is a great accomplishment,” Hudson said. “The biggest thing we did was grow as a team. The best part is we just got better and better each game.”

Fifty-four squads participated in the Sling & Shoot, but three Tampa Bay teams — Alonso, Armwood and East Lake — made up the final four, along with Orlando Oak Ridge. 

Alonso, which won the Battle of the Bay in June, finished 5-2 in pool play but cruised Sunday afternoon due in large part to quarterback Chris Oladokun’s accuracy. 

“It’s a small letdown. We knew we had the talent to take it all the way, even with 52, teams,” Oladokun said. “But at the end of the day, the final four isn’t too bad.”

Dunedin left-handed pitcher/first baseman Eric Sexton and righthanded pitcher/outfielder Aaron Turman have made their college choices. Sexton has committed to play at Rollins College in Winter Park. Turman will play at South Florida State College in Avon Park.

Sexton had Tommy John surgery prior to his senior season. As a pitcher he was 1-1 with a 1.88 ERA and 28 strikeouts in 22.1 innings pitched. He also hit .346 with 17 RBI.

Turman hit .397 with three home runs and 15 RBIs. As a pitcher he was 1-2 with a 3.10 ERA in 40.2 innings pitched.

Both players were selected to the Pinellas senior all-star team.

Bishop McLaughlin right-handed pitcher/first baseman Nate Pearson missed most of his junior season with a broken right arm. But that didn't keep college scouts away. Despite playing only eight games last season, Pearson committed to Florida International.

"He actually had several offers,'' Hurricanes coach Jeff Swymer said. "We made sure he rehabbed during the season. We limited his throwing and he was mostly a DH for us. Next season we expect him to be our No. 1 (starter).''

Pearson had only 25 plate appearances for the Hurricanes. He hit .286 with a double and a triple. As a sophomore, Perason was 3-1 with a 1.42 ERA.

Swymer said Pearson has spent the summer playing for the Score International travel team, where he has caught the attention of local scouts.

East Bay defenisve lineman Marques Ford committed to Tennessee on Saturday, coach Frank LaRosa confirmed.

Ford, a 6-foot-4, 220-pound rising senior, made his choice during a visit to the school on its "Orange Carpet Day," choosing the Volunteers over handfuls of offers including USF, UCF and Clemson. 

Ford had 10 sacks and 67 tackles last season for the Indians, 17.5 for loss. He was No. 16 on the Times' HomeTeam 100, the second-highest defensive lineman. 

Area teams came up big in the weekend Sling N Shoot 7-on-7 tournament at USF, with three teams — Armwood, East Lake and Alonso — making the semifinals. Armwood eventually prevailed, beating East Lake 20-13 in the championship Sunday. Here are the players who caught our eye Sunday: 

Top 10 standouts

CB Isaiah Cameron, Alonso: Though scolded by his coaches for several near interceptions — what would have been a three-point advantage for the Ravens — Cameron broke up passes all over the fields. Cameron, a transfer from Freedom, had four big plays in Alonso’s second-round matchup with Palm Beach Central, including a breakup in the end zone to help secure a 13-6 Ravens’ victory.

QB Jake Hudson, East Lake: The quarterback’s consistent play throughout the day helped carry the Eagles to the championship game. Four touchdowns against St. Petersburg Catholic were followed up by two more against Dunedin. Hudson shined in East Lake’s semifinal win over Alonso. The rising senior threw for three scores, including the winner with less than two minutes to play. Hudson also threw for two scores in the final. 

QB Noah Johnson, Armwood: Armwood was 12-0 on the weekend, and Johnson made it look easy. The Hawks were always quick to score, taking a stranglehold on games early, and Johnson always delivered a touchdown whenever things got tight. In the championship game,  East Lake tied the score at 13 as time dwindled, but Johnson fired right back, throwing a quick winner to Dennis Harris. 

WR Trevor Laurent, Armwood: After the kind of season Laurent had last year, we weren’t surprised that the 5-foot-7 wide receiver stood out Sunday. Johnson had many targets to choose from, but Laurent seemed to be his favorite during the championship run, as he snagged huge touchdowns in wins against University and East Lake. 

WR Bryce Miller, East Lake: Miller shined while lining up in the slot Sunday. The rising sophomore reeled in eight touchdowns in elimination contests. His best game came against Alonso in the semifinals where he caught a 40-yard strike from Hudson that sealed a win. Miller’s big day carried over into the final, where he caught three passes and a touchdown. 

QB Chris Oladokun, Alonso: The way Oladokun has performed in 7-on-7s this summer, we can’t wait to see this kid in pads. Just three weeks after leading the Ravens to the Battle of the Bay championship, Oladokun wowed again at USF, looking poised in the pocket and just piling points on opponents in the early rounds. Alonso finished 5-2 after pool play, but Oladokun’s ability to get the ball to his handful of weapons sent the Ravens on a final four run. 

QB Keshaun Peters, Gulf: Peters couldn’t participate in spring practices because of academic ineligibility, but by the way he played Sunday, you’d never know he’d missed much playing time. He looked sharp on offense and even had a couple interceptions on defense as he led the Bucs to a 6-1 record after pool play; their lone loss was 8-7 to Plant. Peters and the Bucs fought till the end, taking a 13-7 lead against Alonso before falling to the Ravens in the third round. 

WR Cordell Pimienta, Armwood: The rising junior had just 11 receiving yards in three Armwood games last season, but by the looks of things, he could make an impact in the Hawks’ upcoming season. Pimienta came up with some big receptions down the stretch Sunday, including a touchdown in a close 16-13 win against Oak Ridge in the semifinal. 

WR Ethan Weilant, Land O’Lakes: After a slow start to Weilant’s day during pool play, the rising senior stepped up in the Gators’ first-round game against Cardinal Mooney. Despite the loss, Weilant caught four passes, including a 40-yard touchdown strike. 

WR Mitchell Wilcox, Tarpon Springs: Tarpon Springs didn’t last very long in the playoffs Sunday, falling in the second round to Countryside. But Wilcox’s dominance in the Spongers’ lone victory earns him a spot on the list. The USF commit scored two touchdowns in Tarpon Springs’ 24-0 win against Countryside 2, including perhaps the most jaw-dropping, one-handed touchdown grab of the day.

Honorable mention

WR Patrick Brooks, Plant: Coach Robert Weiner has always praised Brooks’ catch-and-run ability, and the rising senior put that on display Sunday with some big receptions followed by fancy footwork to deliver big gains to the Panthers. 

QB Trent Chmelik, Countryside: The highlight of Chmelik’s day came in the Cougars’ second-round win over Tarpon Springs. The rising junior led Countryside to touchdowns on all four of its drives. He opened the game with a 40-yard touchdown strike on the first play and followed that up with three straight scores to Chris Ryan. 

CB Aaron Covington, Armwood: A quick Covington starred on defense for the champion Hawks, keeping Armwood in close games. As the final minutes ticked away in a tied semifinal matchup against Oak Ridge, Covington came up with a huge interception to give Armwood the last-minute points it needed to slip by. 

RB Christopher Garza-McLean, Seminole: The 5-foot-5 running back from Seminole caught five passes out of the backfield in the Warhawks’ first-round loss to Estero. Small and quick, Garza-McLean will provide the Seminole offense with an added weapon this fall.

QB James Pensyl, Land O’Lakes: Pensyl played well in the team’s final pool play game against Seminole, completing eight passes, two for touchdowns. A tipped pass led to interceptions in the Gators’ first-round loss to Cardinal Mooney. Pensyl, however, responded with touchdown to Ethan Weilant that kept Land O’Lakes in the game. 

S Justin Strnad, East Lake: The Wake Forest commit picked off only one pass during elimination play, but he still had a big day. Strnad defended several passes and led a defense that allowed only eight touchdowns all day. 

WR Derrick Walker, Alonso: Walker made some incredible grabs throughout the day, breaking out with a go-ahead, 50-yard touchdown reception in the Ravens’ second-round win against Palm Beach Central. Walker struck again in Alonso’s quarterfinal victory against Mainland, scoring yet another 50-yard touchdown to seal a 15-12 win.

Photo: Armwood's Noah Johnson 

Former Mitchell infielder Conner Hale, who recently completed his junior year at LSU, was selected to play in the Cape Cod League's all-star game on July 27.

Hale plays for Falmouth in the wood bat league and is currently hitting .310 with 10 runs, four doubles, three home runs and 18 RBIs.

Hale transferred from State College of Florida prior to his junior year. Last season at LSU, Hale hit .306 in 60 games played and had 29 RBI and 11 doubles. As a senior at Mitchell he hit .505 with 37 doubles.

Tampa Catholic wide receiver Nate Craig committed to Auburn, he announced via Twitter on Monday night. 

"First off I wanna Thank God for blessing me with the talent I have, and  want to thank all the schools that recruited me!" he tweeted. "I will be taking my talents to Auburn University!"

Craig, a four-star recruit, is No. 6 on ESPN's top 300 for the class of 2016 and had more than 40 college offers. 

He made news in January when he announced he was transferring from Pasco High School to Tampa Catholic, a move which led his former school to accuse the Crusaders of recruiting. The FHSAA is currently investigating the allegation. 

“It has nothing to do with football,” his mom, Nicki, told the Tampa Bay Times about her son's transfer at the time. “It’s all about education. That’s what people need to understand.”

As a sophomore last season, Craig was a Times' second-team all-North Suncoast selection. He recorded 203 yards on 19 receptions and 117 rushing yards on 16 carries, scoring seven total touchdowns. 

Pinellas Park running back Donte Maxson picked up college offers throughout the spring and summer. He put an end to speculation when he committed to Mercer University in Macon, Ga.

Maxson was one of the Patriots' top rushers as a junior. He gained 1,208 yards on 105 carries and scored 14 touchdowns. He also had an impressive spring game against Orlando Evans, which included a 50 yard touchdown run.

"Donte is the man,'' Pinellas Park coach Kenny Crawford said. "He's a fast, tough runner. He's going to be big for us this season.''

Maxson also had offers from North Dakota State, Air Force, Georgia State and Wofford.

Indian Rocks Christian shortstop Daniel Llerna and outfielder Elijah Moravick were both selected to participate in Major League Baseball's Breakthrough Series event in Bradenton.

The Breakthrough Series, which allows players to play in front of members of USA Baseball, is held at four locations across the country. Llerna and Moravick, both rising seniors, will play at Pirate City in Bradenton. The event will be held Wednesday and Thursday.

Tarpon Springs' Louis Zervos was one of four kickers selected for the Under Armour game, to be held in January at Tropicana Field.

Zervos, a rising senior, earned a roster spot after a strong performance at a Kohl's kicking camp over the weekend.

"(I made it) by winning the camp," Zervos said. "Kohl's does all the ESPN rankings and selects the two kickers,two punters and two long snappers for the game."

This past season, Zervos was 41 of 45 on PATs and 9 of 13 on field goals. His longest was 49 yards, but he has made field goals from as far as 65 yards in practice.

Zervos is ranked among the top 25 kickers in the nation by Kohl's and could move into the top 10 after last week's performance. He has no offers to kick in college yet.

"Hopefully that will come soon," Zervos said.

Clearwater Central Catholic graduate Eric Davis will play for Husson University, a Division III school in Bangor, Maine.

Davis, a running back, rushed for 633 yards and seven touchdowns last season.

Husson finished 5-5 in 2013.

Mallory Allen, a 2012 Boca Ciega grad, has signed to play softball at Flagler College.

Allen recently completed two years at Indian River State College in Fort Pierce, where she was an all-conference first-team and all-state second-team shortstop. As a sophomore she hit .378 with 22 RBIs.

As a high school senior, Allen was a Times' second-team all-county selection as a pitcher.

Flagler College is an NCAA Division II school that plays in the Peach Belt Conference.

Plant outfielder Kyle Tucker and Spoto outfielder Chris Chatfield have been selected for this year's Perfect Game All-American Classic.

The rising seniors will join 52 other players on the east and west teams, which will square off in a nine-inning game on Aug. 10 at Petco Park in San Diego.

Tucker, who will compete in the Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field a week later, tied for first in the state last season with nine home runs. The Florida commit also finished with a team-leading .415 batting average, seven doubles and three triples.

Chatfield, a USF commit, was the bright spot on a Spoto team that finished 3-22 last season. He had a team-leading 23 RBIs, a .371 batting average, four doubles, a triple and two home runs.

When Artie Meza left the interview for his first varsity head coaching job Thursday morning, he was told by Wiregrass Ranch athletic director Dave Wilson to expect a call either Friday or Monday about the decision.

“I said, ‘You know where to find me tomorrow morning. You know where to find me Monday morning,’ ” said the Bulls’ co-offensive coordinator. “’I’ll be out there at 6 o’clock.’”

Meza didn’t have to wait nearly as long to hear the good news.

Late Thursday afternoon — a day on which Wilson interviewed 10 candidates — Meza was notified that he would be Wiregrass Ranch’s new head coach, the fourth in school history.

Meza replaces Mike Lawrence, who resigned last week to take a job at a small college in Kansas. Wilson said Meza, who had been an assistant at Spoto, East Bay and Zephyrhills before coming to Wiregrass Ranch in 2013, came highly recommended by Lawrence. 

And with just more than a month to go before the first regular-season game, Wilson said he liked the idea of keeping the job within the Bulls family.

“We’re really happy with the direction the program is going in right now — what they’ve done for discipline, what they’ve done for getting us going in the right direction,” Wilson said. “The coaches worked extremely hard, and Artie was a big factor.”

Meza, 36, will inherit a Wiregrass Ranch team coming off a 4-6 season — a big improvement from winless campaigns the Bulls had the previous two years. 

But despite the improvements Meza said are sure to continue, that’s not even close to the biggest thing he’s looking forward to in his new gig. 

“(I’m looking forward to) trying to help them have productive lives, be good husbands and brothers and sons and just be productive citizens in life,” Meza said. “I think the one thing that gets lost with parents and people sometimes is that we’ve been put in charge of their kids, and football is what you do, but it’s not who you are.”

Three girls soccer players have committed to colleges.

Seminole defender Layna Hatfield and Osceola senior midfielder Alison Watkins both committed to Troy University in Alabama, while Largo senior defender Ashley Blanchard chose Florida Gulf Coast. Hatfield will attend Troy in the fall. All three play club soccer at Strictly Soccer in St. Petersburg.

Blanchard was a Tampa Bay Times' first-team all-county selection as a junior. Hatfield and Watkins were both second-team selections. Watkins has scored 35 goals in her three years at Osceola.

Admiral Farragut senior Isadore Wood has transferred to IMG Academy in Bradenton. Wood played mostly at linebacker last season for the Blue Jackets, although he did play some at running back. Wood said he will be exclusively a linebacker at IMG.

"Can't wait to get there,'' Wood said. "Hope to be there by the end of the week. Camp starts on Monday.''

Wood was in the mix to play at linebacker for the Blue Jackets this season. AFA coach Ryan Hearn said there is depth at linebacker, but Wood will be missed.

"It's a good opportunity for him,'' Hearn said. "I wish him nothing but the best.''

Wood joins a growing list of local transfers to IMG over the past few seasons: Tony Jones (formerly of St. Petersburg Catholic), T.J. Chase (Plant City), Tyree St. Louis (Tampa Bay Tech), John Tauber (Palm Harbor University) and Shane Dixon (PHU). IMG is coached by former Florida State Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Chris Weinke.

Sickles running back Ray Ray McCloud III told a television audience Monday night that he would be attending Clemson for college, seemingly ending a long process that saw him evolve from a defensive back prospect too small to play running back to a highly coveted offensive weapon.

But it wasn't as easy as it looked.

McCloud, The No. 1 player in the HomeTeam 100 and one of the top recruits in the country, knew where he wanted to go to college two weeks ago when he announced he would be making his decision on a live television special.

But things changed. He sneaked in a couple of extra visits. The phone calls didn't stop. Come here, come here, come here.

When the big day rolled around, the college McCloud had planned to announce to the world he would be attending was no longer in the picture. Florida, Clemson, USF and UCLA were. He spent the day fielding calls from every one of them.

But as he crossed the Howard Frankland Bridge on his way to the BHSN studio Monday, his decision was unclear. 

Usually engaging and verbose, McCloud muddled through some answers to a reporter, his mind elsewhere. The phone conversation had interrupted the debate he was having with his father, Ray Ray II, and mother Lisa, and the Sickles football star sounded lost.

Brothers Jordan and Kobe rode over in another car, so the secret would be safe.

McCloud finally picked the Tigers from a list of just about every major BCS school, including Alabama, Florida State, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State and USC.

They all loved the same thing about McCloud.

"He's just a playmaker," Sickles coach Brian Turner said. "He can make plays on both sides of the ball, and he can score from anywhere when you get him the ball in open space. He's just a good football player. I don't know how to put it in words, there's just something about him."

McCloud led Tampa Bay in rushing last season as a junior, amassing 2,316 yards on 300 carries, for 7.7 yards a rush. He scored 26 touchdowns on the ground, and had more than 100 yards and at least one touchdown in 12 straight games before a region final playoff loss to Osceola.

"I was surprised he wasn't getting more offers on the offensive side," Turner said. "I think it was Ohio State that offered him on offense and so did everybody else."

McCloud's ability to make tacklers miss may be his greatest trait. His shiftiness and vision, combined with great quickness and excellent top end speed, made him a hot commodity on the recruiting trail. He exelled in the offseason catching passes in the 7-on-7 circuit, proving there was very little he couldn't do.

That probably made the decision even harder. 

"He's been on the phone all day,'' his father said. "He just wants to play football."

Former Lakewood players Pat Jones and Adrian Davis have committed to play football in college.

Jones has signed with Sterling College in Sterling, Kansas. Davis has signed with Southeast Missouri State University in Cape Girardeau, Mo.

Jones, a linebacker, had 194 total tackles as a senior. He transferred from Gibbs after his junior season, where he played quarterback. Davis was a wide receiver, along with his twin brother, Andrew.

For the second straight day, IMG Academy in Bradenton has picked up a local player.

Lakewood junior athlete Saivion Smith has transferred to IMG just a few months after transferring to Lakewood from Boca Ciega. On Monday, Admiral Farragut linebacker Isadore Wood transferred to IMG.

Amp Smith, Saivion’s father, said the move was made for academic reasons.

"Saivion is doing okay, but he's not where we'd like him to be academically," Amp Smith said. "Kids in the class of 2016 now need a 2.3 GPA. We thought this was the best move to get him where he needs to be. IMG has smaller classes with college professors teaching classes. It seemed like a great fit."

Smith, 6-foot-2, 175 pounds, is ranked 42^nd in the Tampa Bay Times' HomeTeam 100. He started gaining interest from Division I schools in the spring. He has offers from Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Ohio State, Iowa State and Kentucky. As a sophomore at Boca Ciega, Smith played quarterback, running back, receiver and defensive back for the Pirates. He was going to play mostly defensive back with the Spartans.

This is the second Lakewood player to transfer this summer. Tyrell Hubbard-Smith transferred to Gibbs.