Liberty Ranch football star Cody Smith eager for opportunity after signing with Ball State
Cody Smith entered the recent high school football season with high expectations — and not a clue where he would end up after his career at Liberty Ranch.
After all, Smith, who stands 6-foot-7 and weighs 235 pounds, appeared in just one varsity football game before 2022.
“He was very upset last season and (couldn’t) wait to show himself,” Cody’s father, Corey Smith, said in July.
Smith’s senior campaign worked out for him and the Hawks. The team finished 10-0 during the regular season for the first time in school history. Smith didn’t miss a single snap on offense or defense. He was on the field for every one of his team’s plays throughout the entire year, save for special teams.
Last week, Smith signed with Ball State, where he’ll play defensive end next fall.
“Very grateful,” Smith said in a phone interview this week. “I worked so hard in the offseason trying to get my name out there, trying to get my training down, trying to get bigger, stronger and faster for the regular season.”
Smith was expected to play varsity football as a sophomore in 2020, but his season was wiped out by the pandemic. Then in 2021, his junior year, considered the most important to the college recruiting process, was cut short after just one game due to a knee injury. He would later suffer a hand injury that would also cost him time during his junior basketball season.
With his future in football on the line this season, Smith shined, and given his injury history, playing every snap wasn’t lost on recruiters. Smith turned down offers from Sacramento State, Eastern Washington and Army West Point, among others, because he wanted to play at the FBS level.
He noted his excitement to play in the Mid-American Conference, which is known for being ultra competitive. Smith might also have a chance to test himself against one of the top teams in the country early next season with a game on the road at Georgia on the schedule.
“I think it’s really cool,” Smith said. “Who can say they’re from Galt, California, and going to play at Ball State in Indiana? Not many people can say that. Midwest football, their mentality — everyone loves football. ... It’s amazing, the atmosphere.”
Smith during his senior season recorded 66 tackles in 11 games, a lot for a defensive end, including 10½ sacks and 23 tackles for loss. He played tight end on offense, registering a modest nine catches for 153 yards and a touchdown, though he was considered a dominant run blocker in Liberty Ranch’s run-heavy offense. He helped pave the way for The Bee’s Small School Player of the Year, running back Arthur Draeger, and his college coaches haven’t ruled out playing some tight end.
Draeger ran for 1,874 yards and 29 touchdowns, and noted that Smith’s renowned work ethic helped set the tone.
“Every time I saw him working,” Dreager said of Smith, “I just wanted to work harder.”
“He’s super intelligent. He’s one of the smartest people you’ll meet,” Draeger continued. “He’s also really nice, but when it comes to sports, he is an athlete and he is just intense. He brings everything he has when he’s out there.”
That was evident during the pandemic. During lock down, Smith would push his sisters in the family car up and down the street to stay in shape. He searched his family’s 2.5-acre property in Galt for scrap metal he could turn into weights to lift.
But surely he won’t have any problem finding weights to lift at Ball State.
This story was originally published January 5, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
