By LARRY HENRY JR.
Correspondent
Max Smyth has waited for his opportunity at Monmouth University to show what he can do, and the former Palmyra High School star now will have that chance this spring.
Monmouth University football head coach Kevin Callahan confirmed to reporters recently that Smyth will be his starting quarterback for a Week 1 opener against Robert Morris on March 13. Smyth outdueled freshman Tony Muskett in camp and will get the nod this weekend for the FCS program.
“I’d like to thank everybody that has not given up on me throughout what has been a long process,” Smyth said in a conference call. “I came here in 2017. I’m in year four now and I’m finally getting to play some football, so it’s all about what I do with this opportunity at this point and what I make of it.”
Smyth (6-foot-5, 225 pounds), who has only thrown one pass at Monmouth, threw for a state-best 3,090 yards and 33 touchdowns as a senior at Palmyra in 2015. The former Burlington County standout totaled 65 touchdowns over his final two seasons at Palmyra, working with star wide receivers Kelvin Harmon (now with the Washington Football Team in the NFL) and Taj Harris (a junior at Syracuse University).
He played one season collegiately at Jireh Academy in North Carolina before enrolling at Monmouth in 2018. Smyth takes over for Kenji Bahar, who registered more than 9,000 passing yards and 70 touchdown passes during his career at Monmouth.
The Big South Conference will only see teams play four divisional games this spring after seeing its season rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Smyth will also hope to play a part in games against Gardner-Webb, Charleston Southern, and Kennesaw State.
Follow Larry Henry Jr. on Twitter @lhenry019