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A Look at the Film: What LSU is Hoping to Land in No. 1 Louisiana Prospect Maason Smith

Smith one of best defensive lineman prospects to come out of Louisiana in recent memory
Brian Smith|
A Look at the Film: What LSU is Hoping to Land in No. 1 Louisiana Prospect Maason Smith
A Look at the Film: What LSU is Hoping to Land in No. 1 Louisiana Prospect Maason Smith

One of the nation’s top overall prospects resides in Louisiana, and his film does not lie. The monster defensive tackle shows why he’s so coveted by LSU and many other programs during this film breakdown.

One of the rarest skills for a college coach to come across would be a defensive tackle with elite size and strength that also possesses elite lateral quickness. Add quick hands for good measure, and that’s what any college coach that turns on Maason Smith’s film will witness.

The 6-foot-5, 315-pound defensive tackle from Houma (La.) Terrebonne can dominate in many ways. Despite his girth, however, Smith’s quickness should be considered his main asset. That’s a talent that helped bring numerous scholarship offers including LSU, Texas A&M, Miami, Alabama, Kentucky, Florida, Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Michigan, Texas and Oklahoma just to name a handful. Time to take a closer look at the behemoth interior defensive lineman.

During this particular play, Smith engages the offensive tackle, then he powersteps to his left. While making his maveuver, he disengages the offensive lineman by slapping his hands away. From there, Smith’s explosiveness allowed him to quickly engulf the quarterback.

This next play personified why Smith would be considered a national recruit. Hustle, quickness, and sheer athleticism allowed Smith to recover the football and take off towards the goal line. Watch him run in open space. That’s not your ordinary defensive tackle with the football. The way Smith’s body moves would be quite different from most interior defensive linemen.

Playing the run takes discipline. Many defensive tackles overstep their gap responsibility only to see the running back go right past them. When a mental error like that happens, it can quickly turn into a touchdown. Smith easily disengaged from the offensive lineman with a side step and hand slap, but it’s what happened afterwards that should be considered most important.

Smith reached the backfield, broke down into a tackling position, attacked the ball carrier and made the play. He’s a savvy football player. Adding that element to Smith’s repertoire means he will not be as easily fooled as many defensive tackles would be during the same play. Draw plays, misdirection runs, and even quarterback draws will all be plays that Smith can blow up.

Now, imagine what Smith will be like in two to three years. Weight training, a dietician on hand to streamline his body, and constant competition to become better. He’s going to be a monster for some lucky college football program. Rest assured, LSU is in hot pursuit of one of the bayou’s best prospects.

Because Smith’s film is so much fun to watch, here’s his full Hudl video. It’s well worth any football fan’s time to check it out. A great prospect now that’s only going to get better, Terrebonne High School’s Maason Smith is headed for a big-time program.

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Brian Smith
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