Jerod Smith's Intriguing Positional Flexibility
The Loomis Chaffee School has been good to South Carolina thus far. Quarterback commit Dante Reno is a firm pledge and has led the Gamecocks to other players worth pursuing.
One of those targets is defensive lineman Jerod Smith. He is twin brothers with fellow South Carolina defensive lineman target Jacob Smith, and the two make for one of the more fearsome duos in the northeast.
Jerod has positional flexibility along the defensive line. He lines up as a 5-tech, 4i, and occasionally a 0-tech. Smith is willing to do whatever it takes to win, even if it means an increased workload and preparation plan.
While he isn't heavy enough to play over the center in college, he flashes strength and excellent pad level when playing as a 0-tech. Smith gets underneath the offensive lineman's shoulder pads before using strong lower body drive to push them back.
When the coaching staff kicks him out to 4i or 5-tech, Smith flashes strong hand placement and utilization. He has firm power in his initial placement and understands how to reset when an offensive lineman gets a good first punch.
He currently stands 6-3 and 265 lbs. with a big enough frame to slot as a 4i in college. Smith doesn't have the size or arm length to be a 5-tech but has the motor and strength to play inside the tackle.
This recruitment is still in the early stages. While the brothers haven't explicitly stated this, it seems that they would like to play in college together. Kentucky is active in both recruitments, and they visited Notre Dame.
Sources indicate that South Carolina is involved in both recruitments. Whether they can actually land the pair is yet to be seen, but with the versatility Jerod brings and the athleticism that Jerod brings, things could get scary quickly.
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