When it came to defensive line play in the Big Ten this season, few did it better than Shippensburg High School alum Anthony Smith.
The 6-6, 285-pound Smith, a reshirt junior edge rusher at Minnesota, was named a first-team All-Big Ten choice by the conference’s coaches, it was announced on Wednesday.
Smith was a second-team All-Big Ten media pick.
Smith generated 13.5 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries this season for the 7-5 Golden Gophers.
A three-sport star at Shippensburg who also excelled at basketball and track and field, Smith was PennLive’s Boys Athlete of the Year in 2022.
Smith was part of Minnesota’s player contingent at Big Ten Football Media Days in Las Vegas over the summer and he spoke with PennLive about facing Penn State in 2024.
The Lions edged the Gophers 26-25 in Minneapolis and Smith had a big game, finishing with 2.5 tackles for loss and a sack.
“I was just having fun out there against Penn State,” Smith said last summer.
“It meant a little more because, you know, the talk of the town is Penn State back home. Being able to play against Penn State and playing well, it meant a lot to me.
“I know the little kid in me was smiling that day.”
Minnesota football coach P.J. Fleck gave a glowing review of Smith’s contributions to the team when speaking in Las Vegas.
“Talk about charismatic, this kid is that,” Fleck said of Smith.
“(You) might be in a bad mood, you go up to him, you’re going to leave with a smile on your face.”
Fleck added of Smith: “He’s really transitioned, in my opinion, from a high school basketball recruit, where he broke numerous high school basketball rims, to become a really tough, dynamic football player.”