Standout Tulsa Union running back makes commitment to Pokes

Tulsa Union running back Jeremy Smith, one of the nation's top high school football players in the 2009 class, orally committed to Oklahoma State on Monday.

Ranked the No. 70 player in the country, regardless of position, Smith is rated by Rivals as one of the nation's top 10 running backs. He is listed as the No. 2 player in Oklahoma, behind Carl Albert running back David Oku.

Listed second team All-State by The Oklahoman, Smith rushed for 1,748 yards and 20 touchdowns as a junior. He rushed for 954 yards and 10 TDs his sophomore season.

"I've grown up knowing OSU,” Smith said. "I couldn't see myself playing for anybody other than OSU. When I got an offer from them, that lifted me up. I wanted to check them out. I checked them out, and I'm loving it.”

OSU has been called "Tailback U” over the years after producing NFL Hall of Famers Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas. But Smith, 5-foot-10, 197 pounds, would be the Cowboys' first big-name running back from Oklahoma since David Thompson.

The Cowboys have featured other NFL-caliber backs in recent years such as Tatum Bell (Texas), Vernand Morency (Florida) and Dantrell Savage (Mississippi). But they were all out-of-state prospects.

"(At junior day) I was talking to coach (Curtis) Luper about their offensive line. They're pretty young,” Smith said. "That influenced me some, because a lot of those linemen have two or three more years.”

Smith said he's attended four or five OSU games growing up, including last year's win over Kansas State.

"That game was a lot of fun,” Smith said. "It reminded me of the Jenks-Union rivalry. I really like their (OSU's) offense. By spreading it out, there are some good running lanes. And with those receivers out there, they're good blockers, too.”

Smith said he's received letters from more than 50 schools. The other two schools he was considering were Texas A&M and Kansas. He said he might attend a couple of camps at other schools this summer but is committed to OSU.

By making his college decision 11 months before he can sign a letter of intent, Smith said he can focus on his senior season. Tulsa Union finished the regular season undefeated last year but lost to Jenks in the Class 6A title game.