“I don't understand why some guys think that camping is just for no reason. With a dude like that, there's no reason to not come out here and get better,” Smith said after Monday’s camp. “All you can do is learn. His knowledge is just so deep that you're not going to come here and not learn anything. Some camps will be just to evaluate you, run 40s, stuff like that. But that's not what this camp is for. So I'm going to camp to get better and just have fun, enjoy it.”
While his workout with Johnson and the other defensive linemen at Monday’s camp lasted only a couple of hours, Smith felt like he learned a lot in just a short amount of time.
“It was definitely a great, great time to get to be able to actually see his coaching style in action,” Smith said. “I really enjoyed it. It wasn’t like a camp that took forever, but you got a lot of drills that you can take back. I already got a whole bunch of drills from him, probably over an hour-long video of just straight drills, so I've got a lot that I took back and used at home. So it was just great to be able to actually see his coaching style in person and get coached by someone like that.”
Smith said the biggest thing Johnson has preached to him is the importance of having a high motor.
“He explained that you can have alright technique, he'll teach that to you, but it's just all in the motor,” Smith said. “You're gonna be a great player if you always have a high motor, always high pace, stuff like that.”
Monday was Smith’s third time visiting Ohio State, as he was previously on campus for the Michigan State game last November and the spring game in April. He’s expressed high interest in Ohio State since making his first visit, and he says Johnson’s history of developing elite defensive linemen is the biggest reason why.
“He spits dudes out into the league and I mean, he's one of the biggest developers out there. His knowledge is very, very extensive,” Smith said. “And he's real genuine. Like he’s not going to BS you.”
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“I just want to go to a place where I feel I’ll get the most developed. A place where I feel there’s a family atmosphere,” Smith said. “Other than that, it really doesn’t matter. If I feel like I'll get really developed at a smaller school, then I’ll go there. It doesn’t matter to me.”
If Smith’s comments about Johnson are any indication, that could give Ohio State as good of a chance as anyone of landing him.
