Jared Smith’s favorite player hasn’t played for Smith’s favorite college team since 2017. And he certainly never played the same position as the rising senior at Thompson High School.

“Calvin Ridley is my guy,” said Smith of the former Alabama wide receiver who now plays for the Tennessee Titans. “I’ve been a fan of Alabama since he played.”

As a 5-star recruit, Smith will have an opportunity to follow Ridley to Tuscaloosa. But Alabama is just one of many colleges pursuing the star defensive end. He has visits scheduled for Southern Cal, Georgia, Florida and LSU this summer. He plans to visit Auburn during the season. He will also visit Alabama but he’s not sure when.

Smith has grown considerably since transferring from Spain Park near the end of last season. He is now 6-foot-6 and 250 pounds, a full inch and 20 pounds heavier than he was less than a year ago.

“It’s been awesome this spring getting to compete against great players in practice every day,” said Smith, who was on the roster but did not play for the Warriors at the end of last season.

Smith withdrew from Spain Park and enrolled in Thompson in late October 2023. At the time, the Jaguars had regular-season games remaining against Oak Mountain and Pelham. Thompson, which had already clinched the region title, had one regular-season game left against rival Hoover.

According to AHSAA rules, a student-athlete is eligible at a different school two days after making a compliant bonafide move if all other eligibility requirements are met. With those conditions met, Smith would have been eligible to play for the Warriors during their run to the Class 7A championship game but did not.

“Jared came over when he did because he wanted to get over and get acclimated here,” Thompson head coach Mark Freeman said. “Coming over here to play because Spain Park wasn’t going to be in the playoffs was not on his agenda.

“He didn’t come over here with the intention of jumping out of one situation to be in a state championship game with us. He didn’t come here thinking he was going to come right in and play. His mom didn’t know he would even be eligible.”

Freeman said he never had any intention of playing Smith at the end of the 2023 season.

“I didn’t want to do it to my current team, and I didn’t want to do it to him,” he said. “I told him that. Jared never thought he would or could play in a game. That wasn’t his motivation.”

Freeman said following his team’s loss to Central-Phenix City in the 7A title game in December that he felt Smith and his family were victims of unfair criticism that they did not deserve following his transfer decision.

“People assumed he was walking out on one team to join another team, and we weren’t going to do that,” Freeman said. “He’s a great person and a great teammate. He went through a lot of negative talk. He took a beating. Our school took a beating.”

Smith said he didn’t realize he would be eligible to play at the end of last year for Thompson.

“I moved over here at that time to build a bond with these guys and get ready for the next level,” he said. “Thompson is just different. The way they do things is different here. I wanted to be a part of a great team.”

Freeman said Smith went to work on the scout team upon his arrival and was even chosen as a captain twice during the playoffs because of his hard work despite the fact that he wasn’t going to play in any games.

Smith’s first appearance in a Thompson uniform came last Thursday night at South Alabama’s Hancock Whitney Stadium, when he looked dominant in helping the Warriors beat Daphne in a spring game.

“I want to be able to play at 265 or 270 pounds in college,” Smith said. “Every college is basically recruiting me as a Jack, where I can rush the passer off the edge or show that I can drop back into coverage, too.”

Smith is widely considered the No. 2 recruit in the state behind Parker defensive back and Ohio State commit Na’eem Offord. For now, he’s taking the recruiting in stride.

“I just love being a part of this team, seeing everybody make plays,” Smith said. “I just want to be a part of that.”

Freeman said it’s difficult to compare Smith to other former Thompson defensive stars, including Jeremiah Alexander (now at Alabama) and Peter Woods (Clemson).

“He’s a big, longer type,” Freeman said. “It’s hard to put someone in that category with those guys. Jared is a really good player, a top recruit. We are really just now getting to see what he is. He didn’t work with the first team at all when he got here. Now, we are seeing how powerful he is.”