Florida 2027 4-star QB Champ Smith has the skills and toughness

Florida QB Champ Smith covers 2024 visits with a recruiting update.

Florida 4-star 2027 QB Champ Smith visits Oregon. / Smith family

Quarterbacks may not always get the credit they deserve for showing true grit, but Champ Smith has earned the gridiron warrior honors. The gunslinger for Spanish River (Boca Raton, FL) was ripping through the 2024 season before breaking his neck in the middle of a game after a hard tackle… unaware of the severity of his injury, Smith (6-2, 190) came back late into the game throwing a touchdown pass. Healed up, college coaches are connecting with Smith to build bridges to a signed National Letter of Intent.

As an offensive coordinator, ask what you want from Smith, he can do it. Gifted with a college ready arm, the 2027 prospect can rip it downfield on a rope and throw everything in between.

“We run a Spread offense with some empty sets,” Smith stated. “We do inside and outside zone and RPO (run-pass option) – we run a modern-day college offense. I enjoy it. I get to throw for a lot of yards and a lot of touchdowns.”

Playing in three games and one drive in a fourth contest late on the 2024 schedule after his injury, Smith added 618 passing yards and eight touchdowns to his resume to go along with his varsity experience from eighth and ninth grade.

“I feel from a young age, I have been able to pick apart defenses,” Smith shared. “We live close to Dolphin stadium; I’d go to games in my Jarvis Landry jersey. If I wanted something to eat, like a hot dog, I would have to call out the coverages to my dad. We would sit behind the goal post; I could see the field. I understand what defenses are doing.

“My accuracy is a strength. You can throw it 80 yards but if you can’t hit a slant you won’t progress. I am good at making something happen on a broken play or extending plays waiting for a receiver to get open.”

Smith continued, “This offseason, I just want to keep growing in every aspect. I want to get bigger, faster, and stronger. Defenses get more complex; I want to learn more and expand my knowledge of the game. Having that knowledge is a benefit on the field. I don’t predetermine where I go with the ball, but I have a good idea from my pre-snap read. Getting better at everything, that is my main goal.”

Quarterback coaches in the Sunshine State and cross-country will help Smith continue his development on the gridiron.

“I work with a few coaches,” Smith said. " I feel like each QB coach has something they are really good at; I can learn something different from each QB coach. I work with Baylin Trujillo and Kevin Anderson. Coach Anderson is great with mechanics. Coach Baylin does a great job with off-platform stuff. I also work with coach Eric Kresser; he's a former UF (Florida) great and played for the (Cincinnati) Bengals. Coach Eric Kresser is very special to me because he has played at the highest level and always made time for me despite having his own team to coach, other QB trainees, and three young kids at home."

“I also work with coach David Lee; he coached for the Browns and the Dolphins. He invited the Wildcat (Arkansas). He teaches me so much about NFL defenses. If I understand the defenses, that makes everything easier. In California I work with coach (Danny) Hernandez. I love him to death.”

The offer sheet for Smith includes Arkansas, Charlotte, Kentucky, Maryland, Ole Miss, Purdue, South Carolina, Syracuse, West Virginia, Western Kentucky, and Western Michigan.

An update on who is showing interest was provided, “Georgia. I have been to Georgia a lot; I love it there. Oregon as well. LSU, North Carolina, Michigan, Duke, and Indiana. I am very close with (Indiana QB) Fernando Mendoza (Columbus). Miami is showing interest as well.”

The injury allowed Smith extra time to tour around college campuses this fall.

“I went to Florida for the Tom Lemming interview, then I went to the game afterwards,” Smith stated. “I went to FSU, then to Miami, Georgia, Oregon, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana, South Carolina, LSU, and Duke.”

Asked which visit impressed him the most, Smith had trouble picking just one for good reason.

“That’s tough,” Smith shared. “I was at the South Carolina game against Missouri when (RB) Rocket Sanders scored; the crowd registered on the Richter scale. Oregon was awesome, and Georgia was great.

“They all treat you right, which speaks to how much they put into the game. They have the option to go home but stay to talk to the recruits. LSU was insane as well. South Carolina was crazy because of how crazy the game was. I enjoyed them all. Each was a once in a lifetime visit.”

On the upcoming travel schedule, that is yet to be determined.

“College coaches will start coming by when school is back,” Smith stated. “I have to firm up my schedule.”

Smith added, “I would like to visit South Carolina. I have built a strong relationship there. With coach (Dowell) Loggains taking the (head coaching) job at App State, I want to visit there. They have been recruiting me for a long time. They sent a camp invite going into my eighth-grade year; that was before my first start. They have been recruiting me for a long time.

“With coach (Mike) Shula (South Carolina) getting the promotion to offensive coordinator, I want to get back up there. I have built a relationship with him, but it is different with him being the OC now. I want to talk more ball with coach Shula. I went to Columbus the spring of my ninth-grade year; he went there. We have some background there. I want to go up there to build that connection.”

Added recruiting intel: Smith’s sister plays tennis at Duke, and his dad was a linebacker for the Blue Devils. If an in-house ACC rivalry can be had, mom attended college at North Carolina.

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