KU running back Dreamius Smith not eligible

By Matt Tait Jul 19, 2011

Wichita Heights freshman Dreamius Smith will not be with the Jayhawks this fall because of a low ACT score.

Smith, a 6-foot, 210-pound running back, who led Heights to the Class 6A state title last fall, has been in Lawrence this summer taking classes but will not be eligible to start school in August. Instead, Heights coach Rick Wheeler told the Wichita Eagle that Smith would enroll at a junior college and play football there.

Wheeler said Smith’s grades were fine throughout his high school career but repeated attempts to earn a qualifying ACT score were unsuccessful. Wheeler said Smith took the test every time it was available for the past year and a half.

During his senior year at Wichita Heights, Smith rushed for 1,837 yards and 34 touchdowns on 143 carries. He came to Kansas as a running back despite the incredible depth in the Jayhawks’ backfield and was expected to compete for carries.

Savior on a cycle?

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.