De’Veon Smith (image via Sporting News)
Name: De’Veon Smith
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 228 lbs.
High school: Warren (OH) Howland
Position: Running back
Class: Senior
Jersey number: #4
Last year: I ranked Smith #21 and said he would be the starting running back with 150 carries, 700 yards, and 8 touchdowns (LINK). He started ten games and had 180 carries, 753 yards, and 6 touchdowns.
Smith embodies what Jim Harbaugh looks for in a running back: toughness, determination, and not dropping the football. That was why it seemed apparent that he would win the starting gig last year, and he did. He ran 180 times for 753 yards (4.2 yards/carry) and 6 touchdowns, and he added 19 catches for 159 yards (8.4 yards/catch) and 1 touchdown. The highlight of his season came against BYU when he disappeared into a pile of Michigan/BYU players and seemed to evaporate, appearing on the other side of the pile and running 60 yards for a touchdown, shaking off and spinning out of a tackle near the goal line.
Hit the jump for more on Smith.
(image via SB Nation)
Michigan did not have a great offensive line in 2015, and it showed. They were frequently stalemated, and Smith had to deal with linebackers in his face too often. It was a frustrating year, in some respects, to watch Michigan try to run the ball, because everything had to be manufactured. Whether it was unique blocking schemes, misdirection, or just outmuscling people like Smith did against BYU, nothing came easily. The days have long been past where Michigan had the talent up front and in the backfield to simply run power or counter trey and break off a 50-yard run. Harbaugh relied on Smith and fullback Sione Houma heavily to just plow through defenders.
Smith isn’t the most dynamic runner on the team, because he lacks speed and great vision. But at this point, his toughness is almost symbolic. Michigan sat him out of a lot of full-contact drills in the spring because they wanted to keep him healthy, and that’s a sign that he has the starting running back job pretty much wrapped up. Ty Isaac, who started the Maryland game before fumbling twice in 6 carries, lurks as a potential game-changing running back, but his toughness and ball security have been questioned. He disappeared during the second half of last season, and how this season goes might determine whether he enters 2017 as the lead back or if he transfers somewhere else. Meanwhile, fifth year senior Drake Johnson has proven to be reliable but unspectacular, and his track speed has only translated to big plays in the screen game. That should be the main trio of running backs, with youngsters like Karan Higdon and Chris Evans picking up some extra touches. Now that Harbaugh knows what he has in Smith, I think the staff might try to rest him early in the season to keep him fresh for later in the year.
Prediction: Starting running back; 200 carries, 870 yards, 8 touchdowns
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Another year wothout a 1000 yard back? A first year QB (likely a “game manager”)?
Do you have a W-L prediction?
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really waiting for a W-L view.
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The season predictions will be released later this week.
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I think he’ll clear 1,000 as long as he isn’t rested too much. Smith is going to look like one of the best 3-4 backs in the conference this year thanks to improved OL play.
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I don’t know how much the OL is going to improve. They’re taking a step down at LT, and they lost a pretty good center. We’ll see. I don’t necessarily expect them to get worse, but I don’t expect them to get a lot better, either.
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Improvement is less about personnel than coaching and continuity (year 2 Drevno).
While technically true, I don’t think you can ding Michigan for downgrading LT AND for losing a C unless you pretend Mason Cole doesn’t exist. Cole moved to a position that would seem a better fit for his skills. I haven’t heard any hints that the position change is anything but a success. So – Michigan replaces 1 guy. It’s certainly a downgrade to go from Glasgow to a youngster, but not insurmountable given the replacement’s talent level. Glasgow was a good player, not your typical walk-on or even close, but he also wasn’t a natural center. He can be replaced.
80% of an already very good in pass-blocking line returns, they have enormous room for improvement as run blockers. That improvement should come – I would be shocked if we didn’t see the run-blocking take a massive step forward, true freshman LT or no. When Deveon Smith’s YPC shoots upward by a half yard or more this year he will get all the credit*, but the OL play will be the real reason.
The prediction above seems obvious to me. We’ll see if that’s the way it plays out.
*Well, he, his eye doctor, and Ty Wheatley because confirmation bias is a real thing.
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I think it’s kind of silly to say I can’t downgrade Michigan for losing a LT and a center. Cole is playing a brand new position, and he’s replacing a third round pick who had been playing there for a few years. There are bound to be growing pains. Maybe the move will be a success, but at least initially, I think it’s a step backward. It doesn’t matter if it’s the same guy or not.
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Flipping Braden and Magnsuon meant 2 positions got better, not “we lost an OT and an OG”.
Position changes reflect uncertainty, but I’m not convinced going from Glasgow to Cole will be a downgrade. Cole was arguably the best linemen on the team last year, even though he didn’t have Glasgow’s experience. It’s harder to get by with inexperienced players on the interior.
If the OC experiment doesn’t work, they can always put Cole back at OT and try someone else at OC. The logic you’re applying would have Michigan better off in this case – the opposite is true.
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