Devonta Smith may be the lowest-rated member of Ohio State's top-rated recruiting class of 2021, but his on-field versatility and playmaking are exceptional.
Standing at 6 feet tall and 185 pounds – near the prototypical frame for an Ohio State cornerback – Smith is extremely versatile, possessing the skill and technique to cover any player on the field in any type of coverage. He is also very physical and is more than willing to lay the smackdown to anyone with the ball. Finally, because of his background as a wide receiver, Smith has top-notch ball skills.
Those three traits of Smith's game are what we will be breaking down today.
Defensive Backfield Versatility
In his two varsity seasons at the high school level, Smith has played both safety and cornerback for his La Salle team where he was asked to play deep and often cover the slot receiver.
A natural corner, Smith played there his sophomore season, but since he also played wide receiver his junior season, his coaches played him primarily at safety on the defensive side of the ball in hopes of keeping him fresh all game.
As a result, Smith has seen time at cornerback, safety, and nickel cornerback in his two varsity seasons. He's extremely versatile, and at all three positions, Smith was La Salle's best defender.
These three play's from Smith's junior highlight tape show just how versatile he can be:
- Play one: Lined up at single-high safety to the very left of the screen Smith drops back while reading the quarterback's eyes. When the ball goes up so does Smith, he goes up in front of the wide receiver and picks the ball off from the deep safety position.
- Play two: Smith is now lined up off the line of scrimmage but in coverage on the slot player. However, on the snap, Smith drops into his zone and runs with the receiver for another interception but this time from the slot/safety spot.
- Play three: This time Smith is in man to man coverage from the slot position. He stays in perfect position with the receiver all the way down the field before breaking off for yet another interception from the slot cornerback spot.
The best part of Smith's game is actually his coverage ability on the outside, but since we don't have recent film on that due to his versatility (much like current Buckeye Shaun Wade), we didn't touch on it much. Smith will be a player that can play anywhere in the defensive backfield for Ohio State, which should help him get on the field sooner.
Can't-miss tackler
Wherever he lines up on the field, Smith is a sure tackler, rarely missing a tackle.
Even when tackling much larger players like running backs and big tight ends, Smith is able to bring them down because of his sound technique. Smith knows to tackle below the waist, wrap his arms around the ball carrier, and run his feet to finish which makes him a can't-miss tackler in the defensive backfield.
Here are three plays from Smith film that highlight his tackling skills:
- Play one: Playing in the slot Smith runs through the wide receiver that is trying to block him on his way for a tackle for loss.
- Play two: This time smith is just outside the box as a safety but as soon as the running back sneaks through the line Smith is there to drop him quickly for a short gain.
- Play three: Smith is now in the box to stop the run and he scrapes all the way across the field and finishes off the ball carrier for a short gain.
This is a trait of Smith's game that likely won't get much attention, but these are the fundamentals Ohio State coaches will love it at the next level.
Special ball skills
After watching Smith's film along the other recent defensive back commits it is easy to see that ball skills are one trait that defensive backs coach Kerry Coombs puts at a premium.
The goal of the defense is to get the ball back to the offense, and Smith is a defender that can force turnovers with his ball skills. Smith excels at sticking to his man in coverage, reading the quarterback, and going up to get the ball.
Regardless of where he plays in Ohio State's defense, Smith is a player that will find the ball then go get it.
Below are three plays that show Smith's ability to make plays on the ball:
- Play one: Playing the safety position Smith reads the inside receiver and quarterback perfectly here. Once he sees the underthrown ball Smith goes up and gets it before returning it over 60 yards for a touchdown.
- Play two: A bit of a weird angle here but Smith comes all the way from his safety spot to the sideline where once again high points the ball for the interception.
- Play three: Not an interception this time but still, a great play on the ball as Smith reads the quarterback from the slot and comes off his man to break up a pass
So long as Smith gets on the field at Ohio State, it seems safe to assume he will get his hands on a few passes during his time as a Buckeye.
Smith isn't the biggest player or highest-ranked recruit, but he still brings a lot of value and versatility to Ohio State's class of 2021.
