WPIAL QB Anthony Smith No Longer Local Secret After Historical Freshman Campaign

Before Anthony Smith took a high school snap at quarterback for Southmoreland, those around the WPIAL knew there was something special in the making.

It didn’t take long until all the talk and hype translated on the field this past fall. Smith became just the second freshman in WPIAL history to surpass 2,000 passing yards, joining Western Beaver’s Jaivin Peel, who did it the year prior.

Smith finished with 2,110 yards and 22 touchdowns on 129 completions, and since the conclusion of his first high school season, the young talent is no longer just a WPIAL secret.

On a national scale, Smith is regarded as the 40^th best pro style quarterback in the 2028 class, according to QB Hit List, and ranks No. 1 when it comes to the state of Pennsylvania.

“Being recognized on that list means a lot,” Smith told Pittsburgh Sports Now. “There’s a lot of great players, a lot of great players in Pa., and I’m just honored to be No.1 in Pa. In the nation, there’s over 1,500 pro style quarterbacks and I was 40, so that means a lot.”

The recognition continued on the recruiting side as well for Smith. In late January, he secured his first Division I offer from the Syracuse Orange, a program that expressed interest throughout the fall.

“It was great,” Smith said. “It was all my hard work finally paying off. Just hearing the words come out of the coach’s mouth was amazing. I was stunned, but it felt great.”

#AGTG after a great day and conversations with @CoachNunz and @FranBrownCuse I'm blessed to recieve my first offer from Syracuse university.@coachgcuse @AlexKellyCuse @CoachNixon_Cuse @AMannicciCuse @coachwil_412 @EatTeam_2 @Coach_Roc3 @timbukowski6 @michaelemcmahon pic.twitter.com/GoEd5LqWlp

— Anthony smith (@AnthonyMSmith13) January 25, 2025

The offer came while on a Junior Day visit after talking with Syracuse quarterback coach Nunzio Campanile and head coach Fran Brown.

“I’ve been in contact with them for a while now and I thought maybe it was coming soon,” Smith said about the offer. “Once I got up there, all the coaches came up there and greeted me. Statistically, my height went up three to four inches since last year, so I know they liked that, too.”

Smith, who measured just over 6-foot-1 and weighed in at 196 pounds during the Syracuse visit, has garnered interest from around the FBS level including Penn State, Nebraska, West Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland.

He has also received interest from his childhood team in the Pitt Panthers.

“Pitt’s been my favorite team growing up, so getting recruited by them is awesome,” Smith said. “Hometown, so it means a lot.

“Me and my dad went to a lot of basketball games down at the Pete. We used to go to games, too.”

While the recruiting interest has increased for the freshman, Smith is staying focused on letting the hard work pay off.

“The work is just starting and scratching the surface. Just keep your head down and keep working and it will fall in your hands.”

Smith started playing the game around the age of four and owes it to his father, Ron, for getting him involved early and pushing him hard over the years to reach his maximum potential.

“He’s hard on me – tough love,” Smith said about his father. “He teaches me hard work. You got to stay consistent even when you don’t feel like going to work out, you got to. If you want to be great, you got to put in the work.”

Some clips from Wednesday!@michaelemcmahon @QBHitList @Coach_Roc3 @CoachTerryPSU @DannyOBrienQB @CoachNunz @AlexKellyCuse @Coach_JDiBiaso @coachwil_412 @EatTeam_2 @412Elite_7v7FB pic.twitter.com/PQxMA8QOWA

— Anthony smith (@AnthonyMSmith13) February 7, 2025

That approach led to Smith’s preparation ahead of his freshman season.

“For my eighth-grade year, preparing to start, I focused on football for a year just hitting the weight room and getting my speed right. I was hitting the weight room trying to get my body weight up to be ready for those hits I was going to take,” Smith said.

The starting job opened up prior to the season for Smith in which he stepped in and excelled, leading Southmoreland to a 7-4 overall record and its fourth-straight playoff appearance.

“There were a lot of expectations going into the season, but I feel like we met them. We had a lot of seniors and they never got their first playoff win. We didn’t get that this year, but it felt special getting the wins and running for a conference title. It was fun,” Smith said.

With even higher expectations on his mind for next season, Smith is back working on his craft during the offseason with the likes of Rocco Yauger Sports Performance, Justin King for speed, quarterback coach Mike McMahon and 412 Elite in the 7v7 circuit.

“Mainly my speed,” Smith said about his offseason goals. “I focused on getting big last year and getting strong. I want to focus more on my speed this year and my footwork.”

Smith, who likes to resemble his game after Drake Maye and Bo Nix, has a another comparison that brings a WPIAL touch.

“Phil Jurkovec,” he said when asked about which WPIAL players he looks up to. “I talked to my quarterback coach and he’s like, ‘You remind me of him. I told him when he was a freshman, he’s going to be the best player in the country.’ I feel like I play a little like him. His freshman year, he was more of a passer, but he started to work on his speed and dual threat ability.”

As the offseason continues for Smith, he will take a visit to Nebraska and hopes to schedule a few camp dates at schools like North Carolina and Virginia Tech.