Earlier this week, Walton senior wide receiver Chandler Smith won the vote for Week 5’s top play. The senior has a sticky set of hands, and they were never more on display than last weekend against Wheeler high school.
An errant pass made by the Walton quarterback bounced off a defender’s hands, and as he fell to the ground the ball was knocked back up, suspending the ball about a foot off the ground. That’s when the senior Walton receiver snagged the ball, and ran down the sideline for what was easily the most outstanding play of the weekend.
The Walton student-athlete is a savvy player no doubt, and that is one reason why several colleges have expressed interest in him. “I am going to Brown next weekend, and I’ll be going to Appalachian State, Elon, and Davidson before the end of the season,” Smith said. He also visited Appalachian State earlier this summer, to go along with Davidson, Columbia, and Elon as well.
Smith is a really hard worker, and over the last year we have seen him continue to add new elements to his game, as well as, continue to progress physically. “I’ve gained 15 pounds and brought my 40 time down a few tenths of a second,” Smith said.
The 5’10” 180-pound receiver now runs a 4.6 40-time. He is crisp route runner, doing a great job of digging into the defensive back, then using his quickness to break off and get wide open. Couple those abilities with his elite hands, and it was no surprise to hear that Smith model’s his game after Clemson wide receiver Hunter Renfrow – a unheralded hero the last two national championship games.
Walton has started off the season strong and currently boasts an undefeated record with several being important wins over metro-Atlanta rivals. It looks llike momentum is swinging in the Raiders’ favor (they are currently ranked #8 in our 7-A rankings), and Smith wants to keep it up, and finish the season strong.
“I would like to finish my senior season by doing whatever it takes to get my team to a region championship and a deep run into the playoffs.” He continued, “Whether that means me catching 10 balls a game, or it means me blocking for everyone else on every single play, I am going to do whatever my team needs me to do for us to succeed.”
The senior just seems to have a knack at making plays, case in point last weekend’s game. After the play breaks down, Smith does a great job of finding a hole in the defense, and get wide open. He is deceptively quick, and does a great job of uses his blocks after the catch. The 2018 student-athlete has a lot of intangibles and can absolutely make an impact at the next level. He believes as much too.
“I will add a great overall football IQ to any college team. I bring leadership skills and a work ethic that is second to none. Yeah, I’m not the biggest, fastest or strongest player on the field, but I know for a fact that I am the player with the most heart on the field. I will do whatever it takes to beat the man ahead of me, and that is why I will help a college team.”
Hard to believe that strong academic colleges like Brown, Davidson and others do not jump on and offer the Walton playmaker over these next few months. Right now though, all he can do is focus on his senior season. And with this being his last year of high school football, we asked Smith to reflect back on what makes playing Georgia high school football so special.
“My favorite part of the game is enjoying the whole process with my teammates and coaches. Friday nights are thrilling, but they wouldn’t be as enjoyable if we didn’t go through the whole process leading up to the season, struggling and overcoming adversity.”
Interested in recruiting Chandler Smith? Click HERE to visit his Recruit Georgia profile.