Tag: DeVeon Smith

2016 Season Countdown: #12 De’Veon Smith

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.

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Spring Football Preview: Running Backs and Fullbacks

De’Veon Smith

Projected RB starter: Senior De’Veon Smith. Smith is not the most dynamic back, but he does possess the toughness Jim Harbaugh wants in a running back. Last season he led the team in rushing yards (753) and touchdowns (6), despite having the lowest yards per carry on the team (4.18). However, he did end the season on a strong note with 25 carries for 109 yards against a pretty good Florida defense.

Departures: Rising senior Derrick Green decided to transfer, although his destination is not yet known. Florida is one possibility, where former Michigan offensive coordinator holds the same position. Green was the team’s sixth-leading rusher last season. Redshirt junior Ross Taylor-Douglas managed just 1.8 yards/carry last year and announced that he would be transferring to Rutgers.

Hit the jump for more.

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Michigan vs. Ohio State Awards

Jeremy Clark

With an eye toward next year, here’s a look at who I’d like to see more of in the future. Of course the bowl game is coming, but the venue and opponent are up in the air at this point. So in other words, seniors are out of the running for “Let’s see more/less of this guy . . . .”

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . John O’Korn. Early in the year, I was hearing good things coming out of practice. The word was that if O’Korn were eligible to play, he would be on the field instead of Jake Rudock. Of course, Rudock finished the year on a hot streak, and that talk about O’Korn died down during the second half of the year. It’s hard to believe that O’Korn could have outplayed late-season Rudock, but if he’s better or close to better by the beginning of 2016, then Michigan will be in great shape offensively. He’s 6’4″, 220 lbs., has a strong arm, and can run a little bit.

Hit the jump for the rest of the awards.

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Ohio State 42, Michigan 13

That was uglier than expected. And frankly, it was uglier than it should have been. For all the talk of Jim Harbaugh being a master motivator, most of the team laid an egg on Saturday. I suggested on Twitter that maybe Michigan should have hired Brady Hoke as a special consultant for Ohio State week. Obviously, that was a tongue-in-cheek comment, but Hoke took worse teams and went 1-3 against the Buckeyes, including a couple close losses and some exciting performances from Devin Gardner. We knew that Ohio State would run tempo, which would be a problem for Michigan’s defense, which was already missing two starting linemen and a key backup. The immediately concerning thing was that Ohio State was making plays early in the game. An unblocked inside linebacker facing a quarterback in the hole is a win for the defense – and normally a dream come true for a linebacker – but Joe Bolden whiffed and J.T. Barrett scored a touchdown. If you can’t make that play when you’re fresh, then it’s going to be a long day against a team that runs tempo.

Hit the jump for the rest of the game recap.

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Michigan vs. Minnesota Awards

Let’s see more of this guy on offense . . . Drake Johnson. Much like last year, it seems like Drake Johnson (10 carries, 55 yards) is the only guy who can infuse life into the running game right now. For whatever reason, Ty Isaac and Karan Higdon did not participate in Saturday’s game, and Derrick Green (3 carries, 4 yards) is still just a guy. Meanwhile, starter De’Veon Smith (9 carries, 16 yards) is just limping along at this point. I’m unimpressed with Michigan’s options at the position, but there isn’t anyone new coming through the door just yet.

Hit the jump for the rest of the awards.

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