Central's Brandon Smith voted top running back in the CIF-Central Section by fans

Smith ran for 790 yards and 9 touchdowns in a crowded backfield as a sophomore while catching passes and excelling at cornerback as well

Central running back Brandon Smith is one of the state's top junior recruits. He's also excellent cornerback. / Photo: Bobby Medellin

There's not much that Brandon Smith can't do for the Central Grizzlies. As just a sophomore, he was a two-way star on the CIF-CS Division 1 finalists, and now he's a serious Division I prospect as well with a 3-star ranking and at least six offers.

For his 790 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns, and 206 yards and one touchdown receiving in 2023, fans have voted the 3-star junior as the top running back in the CIF-Central Section. And that only accounted for about half of his work as a sophomore – he was also one of the section's better defensive backs on a full-time basis, recording 88 tackles, seven pass break-ups, and 2.5 sacks at cornerback. What more can a fan ask for?

Smith started his sophomore year with a bang, turning 11 carries into 98 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-13 win against Edison (Stockton). He also caught a 31-yard pass.

Three weeks later came his other top offensive performance of the season, when he ran 10 times for 138 yards and a score in a 48-28 victory against Bishop Diego.

Colorado State was the first to take a flier, offering in mid-December just weeks after Central's season ended, per 247Sports. Montana State entered the fray in January followed by San Diego State, Nevada, Washington State, and Fresno State in the spring.

Smith enters his junior year on a shortlist of top Central Section player of the year candidates, especially if he maintains his defensive impact in step with his rushing production. Despite graduating a litany of key seniors, the Grizzlies return talent all over the field, and should be one of the deeper, more balanced teams in California's Central Valley. While it's tasked with replacing the outstanding passing core of quarterback David Marquez and wideouts Braylen Hall (Western Colorado) and Noel Felix III, Central returns another 700-yard rusher in David Bell and second-leading receiver Daylon Scott alongside Smith.

Central opens the season on Friday as the overwhelming favorite at Justin Garza.