Name: Vincent Smith
Position: ATH/S
High School: Sandburg
Graduation Year: 2026
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200 pounds
Recruiting Status: Committed to Northern Illinois University. Smith, who drew various looks and attention from several Group of 5 schools including NIU, Toledo, Miami of Ohio, Wyoming along with Power 4 schools in Iowa State and Indiana. Smith was offered ny the NIU Huskies as more of a safety recruit and again Smith has the physical tools and upside to play several various positions at the next level.
HUDL:
My impressions of Vincent Smith: I have been following Vincent Smith since he was a freshman at Lemont a few years ago. Smith would end up transferring from Lemont to Sandburg and was a key player for the Eagles defense in 2024. Smith again has impressive physical tools and is a no doubt eyeball passing athlete in person. Smith as mentioned is a very versatile player and athlete who can be plugged into a half dozen positions when needed and can be a very productive player at multiple spots. I've been able to watch Smith a handful of times at various events and showcase camps and he is always a standout who just seems to be physically mature beyond his years.
Evaluation of Vincent Smith: Vincent Smith has a lot to offer and also is still a player and recruit who also has a ton of learning and development ahead of him, which makes him an exciting name to watch on a few different levels. Smith played mainly cornerback in 2024 for the Sandburg Eagles but physically looks and plays like a much bigger kid who could easily develop into say a strong safety/outside linebacker at the college level. Smith has very good overall speed and quickness, shows some quick twitch abilities and again has a really nice combination of sixe, speed and quickness along with also having a very strong football IQ and overall awareness. Smith in many ways was a bit overlooked early on in his recruiting process and he is a great example of how a program like NIU has been able to lock up some really intriguing kids over the past handful of seasons. NIU finds kids who they like and they recruit and kids who fit their system....and the Huskies have a pretty hood track record of developing in state under the radar names into regular contributors for the Huskies and head coach Thomas Hammock. I have a feeling more than a few Power 4 nearby schools will attempt to sneak Vincent Smith away from his NIU pledge especially once his 2025 season video lands. Smith again has the combination of physical tools and upside that will be highly attractive to other programs down the line.
Room for improvement? Vincent Smith has a ton of upside, but in many ways he still has a ton of work to do before hititng the college level. Smith at times seems to lean on his sheer physical tools to at times dominate at the high school level against high school kids. Smith will need to keep working on and improving his overall speed. quickness and strength along with improving his overall fundamentals and technique. Again this is nothing out of the ordinary for any high school level including Vincent Smith.
Projected level: Rivals has Vincent Smith as an unranked recruit in the Class of 2026.
EDGYTIM Recommended Initial Rankings: Vincent Smith in many ways is a sleeper name to watch and a kid who will see his overall recruiting stock rise this spring and summer along with his overall star ranking. I would rank Vincent Smith as a low to mid 3 star recruit and someone who I feel will have a legitimate chance to raise his overall stock and profile this summer and fall. Smith has some real upside and potential and can become a name who could become a real steal for NIU or whatever school he ends up with down the line. Needless to say I like the overall potential of Vincent Smith a ton here.
Position: ATH/S
High School: Sandburg
Graduation Year: 2026
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 200 pounds
Recruiting Status: Committed to Northern Illinois University. Smith, who drew various looks and attention from several Group of 5 schools including NIU, Toledo, Miami of Ohio, Wyoming along with Power 4 schools in Iowa State and Indiana. Smith was offered ny the NIU Huskies as more of a safety recruit and again Smith has the physical tools and upside to play several various positions at the next level.
HUDL:
My impressions of Vincent Smith: I have been following Vincent Smith since he was a freshman at Lemont a few years ago. Smith would end up transferring from Lemont to Sandburg and was a key player for the Eagles defense in 2024. Smith again has impressive physical tools and is a no doubt eyeball passing athlete in person. Smith as mentioned is a very versatile player and athlete who can be plugged into a half dozen positions when needed and can be a very productive player at multiple spots. I've been able to watch Smith a handful of times at various events and showcase camps and he is always a standout who just seems to be physically mature beyond his years.
Evaluation of Vincent Smith: Vincent Smith has a lot to offer and also is still a player and recruit who also has a ton of learning and development ahead of him, which makes him an exciting name to watch on a few different levels. Smith played mainly cornerback in 2024 for the Sandburg Eagles but physically looks and plays like a much bigger kid who could easily develop into say a strong safety/outside linebacker at the college level. Smith has very good overall speed and quickness, shows some quick twitch abilities and again has a really nice combination of sixe, speed and quickness along with also having a very strong football IQ and overall awareness. Smith in many ways was a bit overlooked early on in his recruiting process and he is a great example of how a program like NIU has been able to lock up some really intriguing kids over the past handful of seasons. NIU finds kids who they like and they recruit and kids who fit their system....and the Huskies have a pretty hood track record of developing in state under the radar names into regular contributors for the Huskies and head coach Thomas Hammock. I have a feeling more than a few Power 4 nearby schools will attempt to sneak Vincent Smith away from his NIU pledge especially once his 2025 season video lands. Smith again has the combination of physical tools and upside that will be highly attractive to other programs down the line.
Room for improvement? Vincent Smith has a ton of upside, but in many ways he still has a ton of work to do before hititng the college level. Smith at times seems to lean on his sheer physical tools to at times dominate at the high school level against high school kids. Smith will need to keep working on and improving his overall speed. quickness and strength along with improving his overall fundamentals and technique. Again this is nothing out of the ordinary for any high school level including Vincent Smith.
Projected level: Rivals has Vincent Smith as an unranked recruit in the Class of 2026.
EDGYTIM Recommended Initial Rankings: Vincent Smith in many ways is a sleeper name to watch and a kid who will see his overall recruiting stock rise this spring and summer along with his overall star ranking. I would rank Vincent Smith as a low to mid 3 star recruit and someone who I feel will have a legitimate chance to raise his overall stock and profile this summer and fall. Smith has some real upside and potential and can become a name who could become a real steal for NIU or whatever school he ends up with down the line. Needless to say I like the overall potential of Vincent Smith a ton here.
