Harding High School running back Roderick Smith surprised the Ohio State coaching staff during Wednesday’s visit to the campus in Columbus, Ohio, when he verbally committed to play for the university.

Smith, who will be a senior, said Buckeyes coach Jim Tressel wasn’t expecting a commitment so soon, but he got one.

“I knew I was going to tell them when I first got there,” Smith said. The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder chose Ohio State over Michigan State, which he seriously considered.

“I just like the coaching staff, they’re good,” Smith said. “I got a chance to hang out with some of the players. They are just very good to be around and to be with.”

Smith has rushed for 4,770 yards and 44 touchdowns in 36 career games. He owns the school record for career rushing yards and rushing yards in a game (300), and needs 559 yards to break Ray Byers’ (Wayne, 2008) Summit Athletic Conference mark of 5,328.

Ohio State has been hot on Smith since the summer before his freshman season when he competed in a 7-on-7 camp on campus. The school offered him a scholarship in March after Smith showed academic progress, including qualifying scores on his SATs.

He was suspended a few basketball games during his sophomore season because of grades. His football coach, Sherwood Haydock, said Smith’s maturity has strengthened his focus on academics over the past 18 months.

“Everything is going great,” Smith said about his grades. “I turned things around. I’m doing good in grades, and the grade situation won’t be a problem.”

Committing to Ohio State before his senior season will allow Smith to not only focus on his studies but also help Harding. His goals are to be the best player in the SAC and to break a few more records. But he wants to help the Hawks win the conference title and win a state title, which Smith did during his freshman season.

“He’s so much more of a team player, and he’s concerned more about the team and winning than himself,” Haydock said. “Not that he was selfish before, but he grew up last year when he realized how good he was and that it’s about other things that are more important.”

Smith also received scholarship offers from Michigan, Iowa, Illinois, Purdue and Tennessee. Florida coach Urban Meyer recently contacted Haydock about offering a scholarship. Smith is the seventh recruit in the Buckeyes’ 2010 class. He can officially sign with the school beginning Feb. 3, 2010.

Smith is well-known in the city, but he’s made a name for himself with national recruiting services. Rivals ranks him fifth and Scout puts him sixth in their 2010 running back rankings. ESPN’s Scouts Inc. placed him on their ESPNU 150 Watch List for 2010.