Colorado Buffaloes Land 22nd Commitment of 2010 Class in New Jersey S Terrel Smith

Smith, from Paterson, N.J., is a 5-10, 185-pound senior at Passaic County Tech High School in nearby Wayne.  He was a third-team All-State, first-team All-Passaic County and first-team All-Tri County A League his senior season.  He is the sixth member of the class on the defensive side of the football.

He was 1,000-yard rusher (1,261 yards, 10 touchdowns) and 100-tackle performer (117, 61 solo) with 24 passes broken up and three interceptions as a senior.

Terrel Smith smiled as he recalled his days as a 6-year-old flag-football player in Paterson.

His aggression drew plenty of penalties during his first season because Smith sometimes tackled opponents when he was supposed to yank flags from their belts.

"I love hitting people," Smith said. "That’s my thing."

Smith also loves hitting holes, and he has done both exceptionally well while helping Passaic Tech, ranked No. 12 in the North Jersey Top 25, to a 4-1 record entering its meaningful NJTCC game at No. 25 Passaic (3-2) on Saturday.

The senior tailback-safety has rushed for 759 yards in five games and has scored three touchdowns for the Bulldogs, who’ve won four straight since losing their opener to Montclair, 22-19. He also has recorded 49 tackles, intercepted three passes and defended six others.

A starter since midway through his freshman season, the 5-foot-11, 185-pound Smith has drawn interest from Boston College and Pittsburgh. Recruiters from those schools like Smith as a cornerback, while numerous Division I-AA programs are recruiting him as a running back and defensive back.

"He runs the ball hard, he makes good cuts and he’s fast," Passaic Tech coach John Iurato said. "But as a safety, he’s ferocious. He hits like a truck. He’s just been our main stopper back there. He does the things that need to be done in the middle of the field. He calls the signals, he moves guys around. He’s a quarterback on the defensive side. He just helps us out in so many ways."