Ranked No. 86 nationally among all tight ends by SuperPrep and No. 91 nationally by ESPN.com/Scouts, Inc. … 2008 second-team AP all-state selection … Two-time Tampa Tribune first-team All-County team (2007 and 2008) … St. Petersburg Times first-team All-County choice in 2008 and an honorable mention pick in 2007 … Named the Tigers’ Offensive Playmaker of the Year in 2008 after earning the team’s Defensive Playmaker of the Year honors in 2007 … Caught 23 passes for 302 yards and a TD in 2008 after notching 19 receptions for 220 yards his junior season … 140 tackles and eight sacks in two seasons while playing defensive end … Tigers went 6-5 (district runners-up), 5-5 and 6-4 his three seasons, respectively … Nominated to play in Hillsborough County East-West All-Star game … Also lettered in basketball (center) … Team captain for both football and basketball.

“At Northwestern, we take great pride in recruiting young men who are not only outstanding football players, but also tremendous individuals in the classroom and the community,” Northwestern University head football coach Pat Fitzgerald said. “John (Plasencia) and Brian (Smith) are terrific examples of the kind of student-athletes we want at Northwestern.

“We’re extremely proud that they’ve been named to the USA Football Junior National Team and believe that Brian and John will be tremendous representatives for the United States.”