When Lake Mary quarterback Gunnar Smith received a scholarship offer from Kentucky during the spring of his freshman year, the assumption was it would be the first of many for the young standout.
So much for assumptions.
Approaching his third spring since Kentucky reached out, Smith’s Football Subdivision scholarship count remains at one, along with a handful of Ivy League opportunities.
Based on Sunday’s Elite 11 quarterback camp, however, things could be changing for the 2022 prospect.
Prior to the camp, there was anther assumption being made by many college recruiters, who thought Smith lacked mobility and strength.
Wrong again.
Smith finished second among all competitors in the SPARQ-type rating competition with a score of 83.52. He had a 40-yard-dash time of 4.7 seconds, a 5-10-5 shuttle time of 4.4 seconds, a standing vertical leap of 32 inches and threw the 10-pound power ball 28 feet.
He also had a passer rating of 18, tying for fourth, and was the only player in the event to finish among the Top 10 in both categories.
He also measured out at 6-foot-4, 177 pounds –– two inches taller than what most recruiting services listed for him. Those two inches alone could go a long way in determining scholarship offers.
For Smith, Sunday’s performance, along with his ability to throw the football, provided validation for a player who the Orlando Sentinel ranked as the top quarterback in Central Florida for 2022.
“That definitely did offer some validation, for sure,” Smith said. “I did very well and definitely showed that I can run a bit and showed my athleticism.”
Given his body of work, it can be difficult to understand why Smith would need any kind of validation. On a team that ran the football as much as it passed, Smith threw for 1,742 yards and 19 touchdowns, with just six interceptions. He led the Rams into the Class 8A state quarterfinals this past season, the furthest Lake Mary has advanced since 2005, when Scott Perry became head coach.
“I think it’s been a mobility thing,” Perry said of Smith’s lack of scholarship offers. “We have had to be very protective of him, even from his freshman year on. He hasn’t really ever had any back-up.
“Logan Cook came in last year and earned our confidence by the end of the year and he’s a ninth-grader, but we feel like he can carry some of the load going forward and hopefully we’re able to run Gunnar a little bit more.”
Perry has seen numerous quarterbacks during his time at Lake Mary and he said as a passer, there have been none better than Smith.
“He’s definitely one of the best and we have had to keep him bottled up a bit,” Perry added. “We didn’t want him running too much because we were scared we didn’t have anybody else. But as far as throwing the ball, he’s definitely the best.
“We’re looking forward to him opening it up his senior year.”
During three seasons, Smith has thrown for 6,000 yards and 61 touchdowns, completing 459-of-793 passes at a 58% clip. He’s thrown just 20 interceptions, 11 of which came during his freshman season. His completion percentage could be better, but his decision-making has improved each season and he’s shown the ability to step up in the pocket and deliver the ball with confidence.
“We feel like this is going to be Gunnar’s year,” Perry said. “We’re excited for his senior year.”
Beyond that, Perry said, he believes Smith can play at the FBS level given the right fit.
“It depends on the offense. He’s not a Cam Newton or Michael Vick type of guy. He’s more of a pocket guy who will sit back there and look at the defense,” Perry said “He can make the right reads, he’s smart, he can deliver the ball quickly, so he’s gonna have a good chance at that level for that type of offense.
“Look at Tom Brady. He’s not running all over the place, but that’s what he does. He’s smart, he looks at the defense, delivers the ball quickly and they keep moving the chains.”
As for the scholarship offers, they’ll likely come with time and to Smith’s credit, he hasn’t let the lack of attention weigh on him.
“I know I can compete at the next level … people just need to see it,” Smith said. “I just feel like everything is going to work out. I feel good. You can only control what you can control.”
