Brad Smith

QB, WR · Missouri
Smith is an excellent athlete who has superb scrambling ability and explosion carrying the ball. He seemed to regress as a signal caller as a sophomore and junior, but was playing in a system that did not allow him to utilize his greatest attribute -- his ability to improvise. The coaching staff realized the best way to utilize his talents was to unleash him, which they did in 2005. The result was seeing Smith go on to establish 59 school, conference and NCAA records before bringing his career to a conclusion with a fantastic performance vs. Steve Spurrier's South Carolina team in the Independence Bowl. Because of his erratic accuracy as a passer, several pro teams are projecting Smith as a possible candidate to move to receiver at the next level, but with his speed, elusiveness and scrambling ability, he could prove more productive if he shifts to halfback at the next level. The problem through the Indy Combine has been Smith's unwillingness to let go of his dream to play quarterback in the NFL. He closed out his career as the NCAA's record-holder for yards gained rushing by a quarterback (4,289). With his long arms, large hands, sudden burst and quick feet, he could be a natural at receiver or possibly halfback. Still, you can see the arm strength, balance and body control that could help him develop into an effective pro quarterback. All he needs is a patient coach who canrevamp his mechanics. Combine that with his pocket movement ability and you have a very interesting prospect who could also develop into a Donovan McNabb type if allowed to stay at the quarterback position. Smith was heavily recruited by the current Missouri staff while it was coaching at Toledo. He was one of the top prospects in the state of Ohio as a senior at Chaney High School. He was a two-time All-State and All-City Offensive Player of the Year selection in 2000. Smith threw for over 2,700 yards in his career and 34 touchdowns and also rushed for more than 1,200 yards while producing 19 touchdowns. He was an All-City pick in basketball and a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. He redshirted as a freshman at Missouri in 2001, then burst on to the scene with outstanding results during the 2002 season. He was a consensus Freshman All-American first-team selection and named Big Twelve Conference Newcomer of the Year. Smith set virtually every school and conference freshman passing record while also becoming only the second player in NCAA Division 1-A history to rush for more than 1,000 yards and throw for more than 2,000 yards in a season. He ranked tenth in the nation with an average of 280.2 yards per game in total offense. His 1,029 yards rushing broke the NCAA freshman record for quarterbacks, topping the previous mark of 1,019 yards by Kent State's Joshua Cribbs in 2001. His 3,362 yards in total offense shattered the old school single-season record of 2,545 yards by Corby Jones in 1997. He completed 196 of 366 passes (53.6 percent) for 2,333 yards, 15 touchdowns and only six interceptions that year. While he greatly improved his rushing skills in 2003, his passing ability suffered a bit. He did complete 60.3 percent of his passes, but only gained 1,977 yards and had eleven touchdowns with seven interceptions. He made up for that drop in yardage with his 212 carries for 1,406 yards (6.6 avg) and a school-record 18 touchdowns. His 1,406 yards rank as the fourth-best season total by a quarterback in college football history. A lack of a running game, young receivers and poor blocking on the offensive line were just some of the problems Smith encountered in 2004. The coaching staff decided to make Smith more of a pocket passer and limited his chances to improvise by taking away the bulk of his play-calling duties. He managed to complete only 51.8 percent of his passes (191 of 369) for 2,185 yards and 17 touchdowns, but he was intercepted eleven times and fumbled five times while being sacked 19 times for minus-173 yards. That caused his rushing statistics to suffer, as he gained only 553 yards with four touchdowns on 165 carries (3.4 avg). 2005 saw Smith return to his roots as an option-style quarterback. Working more in the spread formation and given more authority to call his own plays, Smith completed 237 of 399 passes (59.4 percent) for a career-high 2,304 yards, including thirteen touchdowns and nine interceptions. He became the first quarterback in NCAA history to rush for more than 1,000 yards three times in a career, gaining 1,301 yards with sixteen touchdowns on 229 carries (5.7 avg). He ranked 14th in the nation in total offense, amassing 3,605 yards. Smith closed out his career as the holder of 59 school, conference and NCAA records. He was the only player in NCAA history to throw for more than 8,000 yards and rush for more than 4,000 yards in a career. He completed 835 of 1,484 passes (56.3 percent) for 8,799 yards, 56 touchdowns and 33 interceptions. He shattered the NCAA career rushing record for quarterbacks with 4,289 yards on 799 carries (5.4 avg) with 45 scores. He is only the seventh player in NCAA Division 1-A history to be responsible for more than 100 touchdowns in a career. Smith also became only the fourth player in major college history to gain more than 13,000 yards in total offense during a career, finishing with 13,088 yards.