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Elijah Smith will not play football at Allen High School.
Elijah Smith will not play football at Allen High School in Texas this season. The three-star cornerback has been ruled ineligible after a move to the Lone Star State.
Smith previously received a two-year suspension due to his ties to an eligibility scandal in California. His family’s attempts to flee controversy have failed.
Allen is the fourth high school Smith has attended following a string of recent transfers. The defensive back started his career at Loyola in Los Angeles before moving onto Bishop Montgomery.
There, the eligibility scandal erupted.
High school football controversy hits Bishop Montgomery.
In August of last year, a number of Bishop Montgomery transfers were ruled ineligible for the 2025 season. The CIF, Southern California’s governing body for high school athletics, stated that eligibility information was falsified. The Bylaw 202 violation carried a potential two-year ban for players.
B. Penalty for Providing Incorrect, Inaccurate, Incomplete or False Information
“If it is discovered that any parent(s)/guardian(s)/caregiver or student has provided incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete or false information in regards to any aspect of eligibility status on behalf of a student, that student is subject to immediate ineligibility for CIF competition at any level in any sport for a period of up to 24 calendar months from the date the determination was made that incorrect, inaccurate, incomplete or false information was provided.”
The scandal ran deep. There were reports of a rogue booster helping move families illegally, eventually leading to the firing of the head coach. Smith was one of 18 players at the center of the investigation.
He would receive that two-year suspension. The lengthy absence could have major recruiting impacts. Smith is entering his junior year. California effectively barred him from playing another down of high school football in the state.
Smith holds college football offers from Baylor, Louisville, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Colorado State, and UNLV. He is a legitimate D1 prospect. Not being on the field would prevent opportunities to receive further interest.
As a result, he attempted to move states. The first try came with a transfer to Hamilton High in Arizona. After Smith moved to Arizona, the state said it would adhere to the sanctions handed down in California and that Smith wouldn’t be eligible to play his first year at Hamilton, according to the Dallas News.
Unable to suit up for Hamilton, he decided to move further east to Texas.
Elijah Smith won’t play for Allen High School.
Allen is the top-ranked program in the Lone Star State. The Eagles are 4-0 in the 2026 season while boasting a No. 10 national ranking.
The school has won five state championships since 2008. It’s gone 31-2 since the start of 2024. The Eagles appear destined for another deep playoff run this fall.
Smith was hoping to provide the Eagles another star on the roster. He has failed.
The UIL, Texas’s governing body, ruled the cornerback ineligible, citing that his move to Texas was made for athletic purposes. The vote was unanimous.
Smith’s case wasn’t convincing. His family claimed that it had never heard of Allen despite its prominent high school football status in Texas. It also alleged that it moved states in order to get closer to family in Waco, located two hours away.
Google Maps
A view of the distance between Allen and Waco in the state of Texas.
The UIL questioned why they didn’t move directly to Waco if family needed support. Smith’s parents also reportedly lied about his eligibility status at his previous school.
Elijah Smith has now been ruled ineligible at three different schools. His attempt to flee the eligibility scandal in California has failed twice.
He will not suit up for Allen in 2026. We’ll see if he tries to find another school in another state before the year ends.