Tag: DeVeon Smith

Scout 300 for 2013 updated

David Dawson (#55) jumped almost 100 spots in the new rankings

Scout released a new top 300 for 2013, and there are some changes since the initial release back in March:

Changes for Michigan players:

– Shane Morris stays at #28
– Patrick Kugler drops from #25 to #31
– Dymonte Thomas stays at #35
– Kyle Bosch stays at #49
– DeVeon Smith jumps from #58 to #53
– Chris Fox drops from #137 to #139
– Jake Butt drops from #147 to #152
– Ben Gedeon jumps from #158 to #153
– Jourdan Lewis jumps from #251 to #173
– David Dawson jumps from #274 to #178
– Logan Tuley-Tillman drops from #153 to #190
– Wyatt Shallman drops from #179 to #263
– Mike McCray drops from #202 to #214
– Gareon Conley drops from #227 to #233
– Jaron Dukes drops from #287 to #294

And here’s the rest:

5-stars:
4. Laremy Tunsil – OT – Florida
5. Su’a Cravens – S – California
6. Montravius Adams – DT – Georgia
9. Eddie Vanderdoes – DT – California
10. Robert Foster – WR – Pennsylvania
13. Vernon Hargreaves III – CB – Florida
14. Ty Isaac – RB – Illinois (USC)
15. Keith Ford – RB – Texas (Oklahoma)
17. Jaylon Smith – LB – Indiana
18. Justin Davis – RB – California
21. Justin Manning – DT – Texas
24. Joey Bosa – DE – Florida (Ohio State)
25. Kendall Fuller – CB – Maryland
26. James Quick – WR – Kentucky
27. Michael Hutchings – LB – California
28. Shane Morris – QB – Michigan (Michigan)
29. Adam Breneman – TE – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
31. Patrick Kugler – OG – Pennsylvania (Michigan)
33. Priest Willis – S – Arizona

4-stars:
37. Jason Hatcher – DE – Kentucky
39. Darrell Daniels – WR – California
40. Elijah Daniel – DE – Indiana
42. Jake Raulerson – OT – Texas
47. Sebastian Larue – WR – California
49. Kyle Bosch – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
50. John Montelus – OG – Massachusetts (Notre Dame)
53. DeVeon Smith – RB – Ohio (Michigan)
55. Marquez North – WR – North Carolina
57. Ethan Pocic – OT – Illinois
61. Kevin Olsen – QB – New Jersey
63. Alquadin Muhammad – DE – New Jersey
69. Evan Lisle – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)
71. Jake Oliver – WR – Texas (Texas)
75. Laquon Treadwell – WR – Illinois
78. Colin McGovern – OT – Illinois (Notre Dame)
79. Alex Anzalone – OLB – Pennsylvania
83. Steve Elmer – OT – Michigan (Notre Dame)
87. Greg Webb – DT – New Jersey
90. Maurice Smith – CB – Texas
91. Eli Woodard – CB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
92. Larenz Bryant – OLB – North Carolina
93. Chris Hawkins – CB – California (USC)
94. Leon McQuay – S – Florida
95. Joe Mathis – DE – California
98. Peter Kalambayi – MLB – North Carolina
102. Christian Lacouture – DE – Texas (Nebraska)
104. E.J. Levenberry – OLB – Virginia (Florida State)
107. Cameron Burrows – CB – Ohio (Ohio State)
109. Standish Dobard – TE – Louisiana (Miami)
115. Cole Luke – CB – Arizona
116. Tray Matthews – S – Georgia (Georgia)
120. Jonathan Allen – DE – Virginia
126. Derrick Green – RB – Virginia
129. Kyle Hicks – RB – Texas (Texas)
130. Shaq Wiggins – CB – Georgia (Georgia)
132. Billy Price – DT – Ohio (Ohio State)
133. Devon Allen – WR – Arizona
134. Michael Hill – DT – South Carolina
135. Henry Poggi – DT – Maryland
139. Chris Fox – OG – Colorado (Michigan)
144. Dajuan Drennon – DE – New Jersey
146. Elijah Qualls – DT – California
148. Maquedius Bain – DT – Florida (Florida State)
149. Rob Wheelwright – WR – Ohio (Wisconsin)
152. Jake Butt – TE – Ohio (Michigan)
153. Ben Gedeon – MLB – Ohio (Michigan)
158. Dorian O’Daniel – OLB – Maryland (Clemson)
159. Hunter Bivin – OT – Kentucky (Notre Dame)
166. Ishmael Wilson – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
167. Ryan White – CB – Kentucky (Louisville)
173. Jourdan Lewis – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
176. Eldridge Massington – WR – Texas (USC)
178. David Dawson – OG – Michigan (Michigan)
187. Antwuan Davis – CB – Texas (Texas)
189. Matt Rolin – OLB – Virginia
190. Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
193. Scott Pagano – DT – Hawaii
206. Darius Latham – DT – Indiana
210. J.J. Gustafson – OT – Texas (Texas)
213. Maurice Hurst, Jr. – DT – Massachusetts (Michigan)
214. Mike McCray – OLB – Ohio (Michigan)
221. Mike McGlinchey – OT – Pennsylvania (Notre Dame)
233. Gareon Conley – CB – Ohio (Michigan)
256. James Onwualu – WR – Minnesota (Notre Dame)
263. Wyatt Shallman – FB – Michigan (Michigan)
265. Cameron Walker – CB – California
274. Jacob Matuska – DE – Ohio (Notre Dame)
281. Yannick Ngakoue – MLB – Washington, D.C.
284. Marcell Ateman – WR – Texas (Oklahoma State)
286. Demorea Stringfellow – WR – California
288. Nadir Barnwell – CB – New Jersey
294. Jaron Dukes – WR – Ohio (Michigan)
297. Tim Harris – S – Virginia (Virginia)

Junior Season Highlights: DeVeon Smith

Scout 300 for 2013 Updated

Ohio WR Jaron Dukes picked up a fourth star from Scout

Scout released its updated Scout 300 on Wednesday, which means I’m convinced – there’s been a conspiracy to give me carpal tunnel by 247 Sports, ESPN, and Scout.  They all released or updated their 2013 lists this week.

Here’s the movement of the Michigan commits since March.  What’s the point of updating the rankings if there’s this little movement?  A total of 14 Michigan commits moved a total of 13 spots.

– Shane Morris stayed put at #28
– Patrick Kugler dropped from #25 to #29
– Dymonte Thomas stayed put at #39
– Kyle Bosch stayed put at #49
– DeVeon Smith jumped from #58 to #53
– Chris Fox stayed put at #137
– Jake Butt stayed put at #147
– Logan Tuley-Tillman stayed put at #153
– Wyatt Shallman stayed put at #179
– Mike McCray stayed put at #202
– Gareon Conley jumped from #227 to #226
– Jourdan Lewis stayed put at #251
– David Dawson dropped from #264 to #265
– Jaron Dukes dropped from #287 to #289

Here is the entire list of Michigan targets:

5-stars:
3. Robert Foster – WR – Pennsylvania
4. Laremy Tunsil – OT – Florida
6. Su’a Cravens – S – California
9. Montravius Adams – DT – Georgia
12. Ty Isaac – RB – Illinois
13. Keith Ford – RB – Texas (Oklahoma)
14. Vernon Hargreaves III – CB – Florida
15. Eddie Vanderdoes – DT – California
16. Jaylon Smith – LB – Indiana
17. Justin Davis – RB – California
21. Justin Manning – DT – Texas
22. Kendall Fuller – CB – Maryland
24. Joey Bosa – DE – Florida
25. Adam Breneman – TE – Pennsylvania (Penn State)
26. James Quick – WR – Kentucky
27. Michael Hutchings – LB – California
28. Shane Morris – QB – Michigan (Michigan)
29. Patrick Kugler – OG – Pennsylvania (Michigan)
33. Priest Willis – S – Arizona
35. Dymonte Thomas – S – Ohio (Michigan)

4-stars:
37. Jason Hatcher – DE – Kentucky
39. Darrell Daniels – WR – California
40. Elijah Daniel – DE – Indiana
42. Jake Raulerson – OT – Texas (Texas)
47. Sebastian LaRue – WR – California
49. Kyle Bosch – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
50. John Montelus – OG – Massachusetts
53. DeVeon Smith – RB – Ohio (Michigan)
57. Ethan Pocic – OT – Illinois
68. Evan Lisle – OT – Ohio (Ohio State)
70. Jake Oliver – WR – Texas (Texas)
74. Cameron Burrows – CB – Ohio (Ohio State)
76. LaQuon Treadwell – WR – Illinois
77. Greg Webb – DT – New Jersey (Penn State)
80. E.J. Levenberry – OLB – Virginia
82. Colin McGovern – OT – Illinois (Notre Dame)
83. Marquez North – WR – North Carolina
85. Standish Dobard – TE – Louisiana (Miami)
86. Alquadin Muhammad – OLB – New Jersey
90. Eli Woodard – CB – New Jersey (Ohio State)
92. Chris Hawkins – CB – California (USC)
93. Peter Kalambayi – MLB – North Carolina
94. Joe Mathis – DE – California
95. Leon McQuay III – S – Florida
99. Steve Elmer – OT – Michigan (Notre Dame)
100. Christian LaCouture – DT – Texas
102. Jonathan Allen – DE – Virginia
104. Tray Matthews – S – Georgia (Georgia)
110. Michael Hill – DT – South Carolina
111. Billy Price – DT – Ohio (Ohio State)
113. Cole Luke – CB – Arizona
118. Kevin Olsen – QB – New Jersey
124. Derrick Green – RB – Virginia
127. Kyle Hicks – RB – Texas (Texas)
131. Devon Allen – WR – Arizona
132. Larenz Bryant – OLB – North Carolina
133. Henry Poggi – DT – Maryland
136. Rob Wheelwright – WR – Ohio
137. Chris Fox – OT – Colorado (Michigan)
141. Shaquille Wiggins – CB – Georgia (Georgia)
142. Tashawn Bower – DE – New Jersey
144. Elijah Qualls – DT – California
147. Jake Butt – TE – Ohio (Michigan)
149. Alex Anzalone – OLB – Pennsylvania
152. Dorian O’Daniel – OLB – Maryland (Clemson)
153. Logan Tuley-Tillman – OT – Illinois (Michigan)
159. Ben Gedeon – OLB – Ohio (Michigan)
166. Ishmael Wilson – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
167. Hunter Bivin – OT – Kentucky (Notre Dame)
173. Ryan White – CB – Kentucky (Louisville)
177. Eldridge Massington – WR – Texas
179. Wyatt Shallman – FB – Michigan (Michigan)
187. Antwuan Davis – CB – Texas
193. Scott Pagano – DT – Hawaii
202. Michael McCray – OLB – Ohio (Michigan)
207. Darius Latham – DT – Indiana
211. J.J. Gustafson – OT – Texas (Texas A&M)
222. Mike McGlinchey – OT – Pennsylvania (Notre Dame)
226. Gareon Conley – CB – Ohio (Michigan)
251. Jourdan Lewis – CB – Michigan (Michigan)
259. James Onwualu – WR – Minnesota (Notre Dame)
264. Marcell Ateman – WR – Texas
265. David Dawson – OG – Michigan (Michigan)
267. Cameron Walker – CB – California
277. Jacob Matuska – DE – Ohio (Notre Dame)
280. Yannick Ngakoue – MLB – Washington, D.C.
285. Demorea Stringfellow – WR – California
289. Jaron Dukes – WR – Ohio (Michigan)
297. Tim Harris – CB – Virginia (Virginia)

Recruiting Update: March 19, 2012

How now? What news?

COMMITMENT
Warren (OH) Howland running back Deveon Smith committed to Michigan.

OFF THE BOARD
Randolph (NJ) Randolph offensive guard Brendan Mahon committed to Penn State.  For whatever reason, Mahon always seemed like a Penn State type of guy.  And obviously, with Michigan full at the offensive line position group, this doesn’t affect the Wolverines a great deal.

St. Paul (MN) Cretin-Derham wide receiver James Onwualu committed to Notre Dame.  Onwualu had planned to visit Michigan last week, but decided to go ahead and commit to the Irish instead.  Cretin-Derham has produced several high profile athletes (Seantrel Henderson, Joe Mauer, etc.), including outgoing Notre Dame wideout Michael Floyd.

Pittsburgh (PA) Seton La Salle tight end Scott Orndoff committed to Pitt.  He was committed to Wisconsin for a long time, but the departure of offensive coordinator Paul Chryst made him back off that commitment.  Luckily for Pitt, Chryst became the Panthers head coach.  Orndoff visited Michigan unofficially last weekend, but you can’t blame him for picking a Chryst’s offense; he’s a guy who has done a good job of developing tight ends.

MISCELLANEOUS
Here’s a list of the weekend visitors.  You can add 2013 commit Kyle Bosch to the list, too.

When Richmond (VA) Hermitage running back Derrick Green visited on Sunday, the coaches told him that they still wanted another running back, despite the fact that Smith committed on Saturday.  That means the door is still open for Green or Joliet (IL) Catholic’s Ty Isaac.

DeVeon Smith, Wolverine

Warren (OH) Howland running back DeVeon Smith committed to Michigan on Saturday

Warren (OH) Howland running back DeVeon Smith committed to Michigan on Saturday.  He chose the Wolverines over offers from Indiana, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, and West Virginia, among others.

Smith is a 5’11”, 205 lb. power back.  He estimated that he carried the ball 160 times for 2,200 yards as a junior in 2011.  Actual statistics of any kind have eluded me so far.

RATINGS:
ESPN: Unranked RB
Rivals: 3-star RB, #32 RB (updated on 3/19/2012)
Scout: 4-star RB, #7 RB
247 Sports: 3-star RB, 89 grade, #31 RB

Michigan was Smith’s favorite team growing up, despite the fact that his older brother, Lance, played running back for Wisconsin and Memphis. His first offer came from the Wolverines back in December, and it seemed in the following weeks that Smith would become a Wolverine sooner or later.  He held off on making a decision until he visited Michigan this weekend, which is a bit surprising because his high school coaches like their kids to wait a couple days after a visit before deciding.

There isn’t a ton of film on Smith out there, but there’s enough to get a glimpse of what he offers.  He’s a powerful back who’s built low to the ground.  He either works hard in the weight room or has the genes of a bowling ball, because that’s how he runs.  Both his upper and lower body are pretty thick, giving him excellent balance.  He has a good stiff-arm and knows how to get downhill.  His coach mentions in the article linked above that he also rarely fumbles.  One of his best qualities seems to be that he knows what he is – a straight-ahead runner without the speed or elusiveness to be a dancer.

What Smith lacks is speed.  He’s not a breakaway type of runner, unless a linebacker or a couple defensive backs have been left behind as roadkill.  He struggles to outrun high schoolers, and Howland doesn’t exactly play the powerhouse schools in Ohio.

Some people want to compare Smith to Mike Hart, and I see that a little bit with his ability to bounce off of tackles.  However, Smith doesn’t possess the same elusiveness and might even be a tad bit slower.  The guy Smith looks like to me is Leroy Hoard, the former Michigan running back who went on to a career with the Browns, Ravens, Panthers, and Vikings.  Hoard was the same height and approximately 225 lbs., which Smith could easily reach in a couple years.  Hoard was never a superstar, but he was a very solid player who excelled in part because his offensive line (at Michigan) was very good and got him to the second level against physically overmatched players.  Considering the offensive line Michigan is putting together in the 2012 and 2013 classes, Smith might be able to take advantage of that same circumstance.

DeVeon Smith is Michigan’s sixteenth commitment in the class of 2012, a class that currently looks to reach nineteen (although further attrition is almost assured).  He’s also the second running back, to go along with Novi (MI) Catholic Central’s Wyatt Shallman.  There is some question about whether the Wolverines will still pursue Joliet (IL) Catholic’s Ty Isaac, who also likes Michigan and visited last weekend.  I think Michigan will continue to pursue Isaac, who possesses the big-play ability that Shallman and Smith lack.

TTB Rating: 63 (rating system)