Family Matters so Twins Jacob and Jerod Smith Flip to Kentucky

It all came down to family for Jacob and Jerod Smith.

The twin brothers, both top 250 players nationally, flipped their commitments from Michigan to Kentucky just a few minutes after helping Corbin hold off Frederick Douglass in front of an overflow crowd estimated at 5,000 fans on a night where the 100th year of Corbin football was celebrated.

Kentucky recruiting coordinator/associate coach Vince Marrow and defensive coordinator Brad White were both at the game watching the two help stymie Frederick Douglass’ offense most of the game.

When it ended, they waited until after Corbin coach Tom Greer briefly talked to his team in the end zone and then each put on a pair of UK gloves before announcing they were now going to UK. Teammates erupted into a roar of approval.

“We just wanted to stay home close to the family,” said Jerod, a 265-pound defensive lineman.  “That was it. At the end of the day it is about family.”

Both have grandmothers living in Kentucky. Their mother is back in Kentucky now and their father will be retiring from the military soon and back living in Kentucky. Jerod Smith Sr. was busy before Friday’s game securing and passing out tickets for about 20 family members who attended the game.

“It was awesome tonight,” Jerod said. “There is not a better atmosphere in Kentucky. I enjoyed every single second of it. I had over 20 family members come to this game. I got to see a lot of siblings I had not seen in a while.”

The twins played at nearby Somerset High School in 2019 and 2020 before attending prep school in Connecticut the last two seasons. They moved back to Kentucky this summer.

Jacob, a 230-pound edge rusher, enjoys playing with his brother and said Kentucky has a “family” feel to it.

“Kentucky is my home. I have lived here eight years and just want to stay here,” Jacob said.

He joked one reason for flipping to Kentucky was “the colors were good … blue and white” before getting a bit more serious.

“We started thinking about flipping when we first got back in the state and they (UK coaches) started reaching out to us. Kentucky really has been home for a while,” Jacob said.

“Kentucky coaches came to watch us play tonight and it was a big team from Lexington that we had to show out against. It was the biggest game of the year so far, so we decided this was the right time to let everyone know we are staying home.”