Top 30 Most Overlooked High School Recruits to Go Pro Since 2000
By Zach Bigalke
During his last two seasons as the starting quarterback at Helix Charter High School in La Mesa, California, Alex Smith helped lead the Scotties to two San Diego CIF championships and a 25-1 record. Playing alongside future USC sensation Reggie Bush, Smith went largely unrecognized despite setting several school records and earning multiple conference honors. Rated as the 99th-best quarterback in the 2002 class under the 247Sports composite rankings, Smith received no major offers and ended up going at Utah to play for Ron McBride.
Smith reached the field just twice during his freshman year, and after the season McBride was replaced by Bowling Green coach Urban Meyer. Under Meyer, Smith blossomed into one of the top quarterbacks in college football. He finished fourth in the 2004 Heisman voting after leading the Utes to a 12-0 regular season and their second straight Mountain West title. In the first appearance by a smaller school in a BCS bowl, Smith earned Fiesta Bowl co-MVP honors after completing 29 of his 37 passes for 328 yards and four TDs against Pitt. The win vaulted him in draft projections, and Smith was eventually selected first overall by the San Francisco 49ers.