Missouri State Offers Tatum Linebacker D’Torian Smith

D'Torian Smith is making his run up a big list of East Texas prospects with at least one Division I scholarship opportunity.

Missouri State reached out to the rising senior Tatum linebacker Thursday and presented him his third offer in a three-day span. Smith announced the news via his Twitter account.

FBS programs Louisiana-Monroe and UTEP offered Smith (6-3, 225) in the days preceding the latest offer.

The Missouri State program will try to bounce back from a 1-10 season while recruiting the linebacker through the next eight months.

Dave Steckel will be back for a second season as head coach in Springfield, Mo. He's trying to give Missouri State its first winning season since 2009 and its first FCS playoffs appearance since 1990.

North Dakota State -- which has won the past five FCS national championships -- plus historically strong Northern Iowa, Illinois State, Indiana State and Youngstown State programs currently highlight Missouri State's competition inside the Missouri Valley Conference.

Smith was a bright spot for a winless Tatum team last season.

Tatum athletic director and head football coach Andy Evans retired from his coaching duties after the year concluded. Evans, who won two state championships and made a third title game appearance in 12 years at the school, will be an assistant athletic director going forward.

Craig Barker, formerly Kaufman’s head coach, was hired to replace Evans in February. Barker led Kaufman to the District 8-4A Division I championship last season and a third round playoff appearance.

Tatum was realigned to District 8-4A Division II in February. Its league is rounded out by Diboll, Huntington, Jasper and Rusk.

Smith, like all high school football prospects about to enter their senior year, will become eligible to sign with any school that offers him on Feb. 1, 2017.