Declining to sign with TCU appears to have been the best decision Eddie Smith could have made.

A former Horned Frog commit, Smith declined to sign with the program during the early signing period and has seen his recruitment blow up since mid-December. He’s made official visits to Tennessee and Mississippi State and is scheduled to take another to Alabama this weekend.

Coming off his visit to Tennessee, Smith claimed the Vols took the lead in his recruitment. Jeremy Pruitt’s program appeared to continue to trend in the right direction for the Louisiana native as his mother posted a pro-Tennessee picture following an in-home visit from Mississippi State coaches.

However, Alabama has started to key in on Smith. The latest sign of that came Tuesday evening as Nick Saban took his in-home visit with Smith and his family:

https://twitter.com/eddiesmith_8/status/955947022489661441

It’s never a good idea to count against the Tide when it comes to recruiting, especially when Smith plays at a current position of need for the program. With Smith traveling to Tuscaloosa this weekend following the visit from Saban, it will be interesting to see where his recruitment goes from here.

While Smith may be wanted at Alabama, it’s safe to say Tennessee is desperate to sign him. The Vols currently do not have a cornerback committed in 2018, Alabama has three defensive back commits, and Tennessee is replacing both starting cornerbacks next season. While signing won’t guarantee Smith a starting spot in Knoxville, he would have to at least be in the conversation given the depth on the roster.

Not long after Saban knocked on the Smith family door, Pruitt and defensive backs coach Terry Fair and receivers coach David Johnson showed up.

https://twitter.com/eddiesmith_8/status/955997973221175296

With National Signing Day just two weeks away, Smith is running out of time to make his final decision. It’s pretty interesting that he’s being courted by both former Alabama’s defensive back coaches from last season. Now we wait to see who wins out, the Alabama legend or the new face of Tennessee’s program.