Auburn on Tuesday extended an offer to offensive tackle Carter Smith.

Smith, from Olentangy Liberty, learned of the news after speaking with Auburn offensive line coach Will Friend and offensive line graduate assistant Patrick Kugler.

“I was on the phone with Coach Kugler and he passed the phone off to Coach Friend,” Smith said. “They were fresh out of a meeting, so we just had a short conversation and he offered me then.”

Smith was excited to learn of the offer.

“It felt incredible,” Smith said. “It’s SEC football. It’s rated the No. 1 college in Alabama and they are pretty prestigious with their business program, too.”

While Smith had spoken with both Kugler and Friend before the offer, there’s another coach with whom he’s developed a stronger bond.

“I have been talking to the staff for a while and have gotten real close with (offensive analyst) Coach (Kendall) Simmons,” Smith said. “Coach Simmons is the main person I’ve talked to. We’ve been getting along real well. He is 100-percent real. He asks me the hard questions and I give him the hard answers. I really like him.”

Auburn joins Smith’s long list of offers, which includes Northwestern, Indiana, Georgia Tech, Tennessee, Ole Miss, Virginia, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa State and West Virginia, among others. Smith doesn’t have any favorites at this point, but plans to announce a top group soon.

Auburn could make the cut.

“Auburn is pretty high up for me right now,” Smith said. “Obviously, there is still a lot I need to learn about the program and the coaching staff, but if I like what I see they will definitely be a contender.”

Smith is scheduled to do a virtual visit with Auburn next week.

Rivals ranks Smith, who is 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds, the No. 35 overall recruit in Ohio.