Rutgers Football continues to recruit and build the trenches.
2026 interior offensive lineman Jared Smith became the latest, committing to the program on social media on Friday night. Smith hails from Stockbridge, Georgia, and committed to the Scarlet Knights over Georgia, Georgia Tech, and Auburn, his other three finalists.
Smith becomes the tenth overall commit in the class, the third on the offensive line. He becomes the fourth Four-Star commit of the class, joining wide receiver Dyzier Carter, EDGE Wydeek Collier, and safety Chris Hewitt Jr. Smith is also currently rated as the 30th-ranked interior offensive lineman nationally and the 52nd-ranked recruit in Georgia in the 2026 class.
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"I chose them just because of the relationships they built with my family, my coaches, and the programs they have for their athletes," Smith told The Knight Report.
Recruited by both offensive line coach Pat Flaherty and running backs coach Damiere Shaw, the 6-foot-5, 320-pounder first earned his offer from the program on August 30th, 2024, after taking an unofficial visit for Rutgers' season-opening win over Howard a day prior.
"I went to the game last weekend and then after the head coach (Greg Schiano) himself told me he was offering me," he told TKR following the initial visit. "It was a good visit overall and all the coaches feel like I'm a great fit for their team. It was a great atmosphere. What stood out to me is how their players run off the field. I see it in college football and a lot of players will just walk or jog off and they don’t sprint off. So seeing a team that does that was nice to see."
Smith also visited for the Scarlet Knights' second Junior Day during the first weekend of February, with the Yellow Jackets also recruiting him heavily at that time.
"The visit was great, I had a blast talking with all the coaches today," he told TKR after Junior Day. "I talked to so many coaches on the trip that I forgot all of their names. The message from all of them was short and sweet, just explained to me how I fit into their program and how much they want me there. Planning to get back up in the spring."
Three weeks later, Smith scheduled his official visits to Rutgers (May 30th).
Landing Smith's commitment also adds yet another notch on the belts of both Flaherty and Shaw in their ability to identify and recruit talent, even facing a powerhouse program such as Georgia.
"Coach Shaw and Coach Flats [Flaherty], [I] built a great relationship with each of them," Smith said. "You know, they treat me like more than just a player and make sure I’m good on and off the field."
Smith also wants to bring some friends along with him.
"I plan on recruiting quickly," he added. "I’m also trying to get my little brother [2027 OL Jayden Smith] and my boy Omari Scott an offer so we can all ball out together."
On the field, Smith has been a fast riser in the 2026 class. He earned offensive line MVP honors in February's Under Armour Next All-American Camp Series in Atlanta, working out alongside some of the Southeast's top offensive linemen and facing off against many of the region's top defensive linemen.
Though primarily recruited as a guard, Smith can also play tackle, as he did for Woodland High School. On his highlight tape, his size pops out first, but on another look, his mentality and nasty streak when blocking are a plus. He does not finish blocking until the whistle blows, his assignment is on the ground, or they are completely out of the play - whichever comes first.
His versatility also helps, as the Wolfpack runs multiple blocking schemes. While Rutgers primarily runs a zone scheme, Smith gained experience as a pinning tackle in a Pin-and-Pull scheme on multiple occasions.
While offensive linemen are more difficult to project at the college level, especially early in their career, Smith showcased the size and mentality to eventually become a standout on the offensive line.
PLAYER EVALUATION.....
“Jared Smith was the most competitive offensive lineman at Under Armour Atlanta. The Stockbridge (Ga.) Woodland lineman put up a significant fight during 1-on-1’s and was the lone lineman to slow down some of the top pass-rushers in attendance. Smith has a broad-shouldered, barrel-chested build that easily held up against contact. He able to easily anchor on contact and gave up little ground once engaged. He also showed solid functional movement skills and some feisty competitiveness. Smith split reps with Jabarrius Garror and held up well at tackle despite likely being an interior offensive lineman long-term.” - On3 Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power
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