Laray Smith was all set to take an unofficial visit to Syracuse two weeks ago when his plans abruptly changed. His father Lawrence fell ill and was hospitalized. The Xaverian star running back never made the trip upstate.
“It was pretty difficult,” said Smith, who declined to elaborate on details. “But my father always tells me just continue moving on and doing what’s best for yourself.”
He tired to lay low for a while as his father’s health improved. Lawrence has since been released and is home. Smith can now proceed with a clear head as he looks to pick a college.
He is down to five schools: Syracuse, UConn, Tennessee, Oregon and West Virginia. The first three have all offered and he believes Oregon and West Virginia will follow. Those schools, Smith said, have not received his transcripts yet
“Once I get those to them, I am pretty sure they will offer,” he said.
He has already visited UConn once and plans on going back this Friday. He hopes to reschedule his visit to Syracuse, too. Smith is willing to wait for the other two suitors, saying he could visit Oregon as late as after his senior season. Last year he ran for 993 yards and 10 touchdowns while averaging over seven yards a carry as Xaverian reached the CHSFL Class AAA semifinals.
His feeling about more offers coming stems from the consistent communication he has with both staffs, especially the Ducks. Smith doesn’t have an exact time frame for making a choice.
“Once I get my last two offers, I’ll base it off that,” he said. “It can be an anyday thing. It could be in August. It could be during the season.”
The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Smith wants to be more than a running back in college as he was an All-City first team selection on the gridiron and the track by The Post last year. He is one of the state’s top sprinters, running times of 10.4 in the 100 meters and 21.4 in the 200 meters. Last Saturday he won both events at the Region I Junior Olympic qualifiers at Mitchel Field. Smith is looking to qualify for the Junior Olympics, which begins July 23 in Baltimore. He has one more qualifying meet, on July 21.
The Staten Island native would like to compete in both sports at the collegiate level, but football is his priority. Syracue, UConn and Tennessee will allow him to do both and he believes it’s possible to get a track scholarship at Oregon and a spot on the football team.
“I feel proud of myself that I made the last round and I think I have a chance to win,” Smith said.
His recruiting process is now back on track after his father’s health scare, something he is trying to not left affect him.
“He’s starting to feel better,” Smith said. “So it’s making everything better for me.”