Four-star USC OT commit Carde Smith visits Colorado for second gameday visit

Four-star offensive tackle commit Carde Smith is a prized recruit in USC's 2025 class. Despite being committed to the Trojans, he unofficially visited Boulder on Sept. 12 to watch Colorado's Big 12 opener against Baylor.

Smith was back in Boulder once again on Saturday night for an official visit to Colorado as the school played Cincinnati.

CU secured a 34-23 win in the late-night encounter to go 6-2 on the season and become bowl-eligible.

USC was able to land a commitment from Smith on Aug. 5, and he has remained one of the highest-rated prospects in the cycle, which ranks No. 11 in the nation with 23 committed players.

However, Smith's recruitment has been trending in Deion Sanders' program's direction for days. Speaking with On3, he revealed his interest in Colorado, saying:

“The coaches staying in contact with me even after I committed to another school. Staying in contact with my mom — my mom plays a big role in the commitment, if she’s straight, I’m straight. If she feels like that’s a place I could be too, we’re gonna go with it, see what it’s talking about.”

Colorado’s 2025 class has two offensive players in the fold, including four-star interior offensive lineman Chauncey Gooden and three-star offensive tackle Jay Gardenhire-Crooks.

Carde Smith acknowledged the Buffaloes’ persistent recruitment for this cycle, saying:

“Really telling me how much they want me. How they had another freshman last year, Jordan Seaton, he came on there and started as a freshman.”

Recruiting analyst Adam Munsterteiger from BuffStampede has already projected a potential flip from Carde Smith to Colorado earlier this month. This official visit can be the ultimate momentum for the move.

Which other players are on Colorado's radar besides Carde Smith?

Five-star USC quarterback commit Julian Lewis is another prospect Colorado is pushing for a flip. The signal-caller was also back in town for the Buffaloes' game against Cincinnati on Saturday.

Ahead of the matchup, Lewis was spotted speaking with Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders' personal coach, Darrell Colbert Jr.

The Lewis flip discussion has been going on for a while now. Even before looking into other recruits like Carde Smith, the Buffaloes had their sights set on Lewis for their 2025 class, which currently lacks a quarterback. With USC struggling this season with a 4-4 record, some believe Lewis might be more inclined to consider a change.

Besides Lewis, Colorado also hosted three-star wide receiver Quentin Gibson and Baylor commit kicker Rhett Armstrong for unofficial visits. Sanders and his coaching staff can push them to join the school's 2025 class.