Buckskin86
Moderator
February 16, 2012
Michigan, Ohio State battle for bruising RB Deveon Smith
Sam Webb
The recruiting battles between Michigan and Ohio State may not feature the physical confrontations that their gridiron battles do, but they are often every bit as intense. That may prove especially true in the coming months. These heated rivals seem to be bumping heads on the recruiting trail at an increased rate these days ? a surprising occurrence considering their divergent offensive philosophies.
But many of the prospects that pundits project as better fits for one scheme over the other are ignoring that pigeon-holing of their skills and are instead looking equally at both schools. Case in point: Warren (Ohio) Howland RB Deveon Smith. The 5-11, 215-pounder is a bruising ball-carrier that many feel is best suited for a downhill rushing attack. That's an obvious plus for Michigan, but Smith warns against assuming he can't easily adapt his game to a spread attack.
"I actually prefer to be in a pro-style offense, but I can also go in a spread," he said confidently. "I actually like going out and catching the ball."
Whether he continues to look upon both schemes with similar favor could wind up being the determining factor in this recruitment. The Buckeye State star currently holds offers from Michigan, Ohio State, Indiana and Bowling Green, but will likely add many more in the coming weeks. His style will prove appealing to programs that have a particular appreciation for physical, straight-ahead rushers. In 2011, he bulldozed his way to 1,900 yards and 22 touchdowns on the ground.
"Things went really well for me (last) year, and I was able to beat a couple of my brother's records," Smith told Scout.com. "It was an exciting year, and also a learning year for me. I think I was a lot better player this year than ever before. I got a lot faster, and my vision was very much improved. I'm a power back and I love running people over, but I can also make people miss. I'm working at being a better blocker and I can catch the football. I'm working on film study to be better at my reads."
cont...
http://www.detroitnews.com/article/...hio-State-battle-for-bruising-RB-Deveon-Smith
Upvote
0