'09 FL RB Vincent Smith (Michigan Verbal)

[GoRU]

'09 FL RB Vincent Smith



Running back
Pahokee (FL) Pahokee

Ht: 5-foot-7
Wt: 159 lbs
Class: 2009 (High School)

ESPN

Smith lacks great size on paper, but he runs extremely hard and gives you a threat in space with his speed and quickness. Diminutive in stature but if coaches look purely at his running skills and production on film, recruiting should start heating up. Very slippery to wrap up as an in-line runner and utilizes smaller body structure to his advantage. Picks and slides through the initial traffic with great shiftiness and vision. Shows good suddenness hitting the cutback lane and small run creases. Runs low to the ground with great balance and body control; rarely gives defenders a clean shot to hit. Will lower the shoulder on contact and keep his legs driving; very strong pound-for-pound, particularly through his legs and lower-body. Finishes runs and will drag the pile. Good lateral quickness bouncing it outside and avoiding the initial traffic; eludes tacklers with great stop-start and jump cut skills. Shows a second gear when he gets outside on the perimeter and can separate in the second level with good top-end speed. However, he does appear quicker than fast and is not the burner you hope for on film with his smaller size. Runs hard and is a tough, determined back, but yards after contact should diminish at the next level versus bigger more explosive defenders. Smith lacks a great initial burst but impressively loses little in transition when cutting laterally; should develop into a productive change-of-pace back in a spread offense. Good prospect.

Michigan's recruiting heats up in Florida

RB Vincent Smith, Pahokee High, 5-8/165/4.60: Also a teammate of Martavious Odoms at Pahokee, Smith is scatback type with outstanding hands. Though not as fast as Nu'Keese Richardson, he too has the open-field ability that translates not only to tailback, but to slot receiver as well.

[GoRU]

Pahokee's Richardson picks Florida

Next up for Pahokee will likely be running back Vincent Smith. Smith has drawn interest from Tennessee, Michigan and Minnesota, but might wait until the end of the season to see if more schools enter the race.

Who will be 2008's football stars? | Inside Preps

Vincent Smith, Pahokee, RB Nu’Keese Richardson will do plenty of rushing out of the quarterback position, but Smith (5-9, 190) will play a big role in the Blue Devils’ run game as well. Pahokee coach Blaze Thompson said Smith could join Richardson as an early commit, and he has drawn the interest of Tennessee, Michigan and Minnesota already.

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6/25

From TheWolverine...since UM has offered has picked up offers from Minnesota, Tennessee, Southern Miss and Iowa State. Visited Pitt and Rutgers this week and is headed to WVU. Plans to decide by the end of the summer.

[HotMic]

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6/26

By M Bakas. Smith favors Michigan, Tennessee and Minnesota. Early playing time will be very important, as he would like to play as a freshman.

[GoRU]

Michigan, Tennessee recruit Smith wants state recognition - 06/26/2008 - MiamiHerald.com

Michigan's offer: Check.

Tennessee's: Check.

University of Miami, Florida, Florida State: Well, not so fast.

It seems not every big-time school is interested in small-but-productive Pahokee running back Vincent Smith. Particularly those in his home state.

''Because I'm from Florida, all the schools from Florida I've been [a big fan of] since I was little,'' said Smith, who has a handful of offers -- but none from the Sunshine State. ``So it's a little devastating about them overlooking me.

``But I'm all right.''

Indeed he is. Smith might come up short, height-wise (he lists himself at 5-9, although some have him at 5-7), but not in many other places.

His 40-yard dash time -- the high 4.3-range and dropping, he says -- is stellar.

TOP NATIONAL RANKING

His production -- more than 1,000 yards rushing last season -- helped lead the Blue Devils to the 2B state championship and USA Today's No. 6 national ranking.

And then there's his build, which Thompson simply called ``that spread-offense body.''

Small but powerful, Smith projects as the prototypical player for the offensive system that has grown from obscurity into a flat-out trend -- even permeating Michigan's Maize and Blue after the school hired former West Virginia coach and spread-offense guru Rich Rodriguez this offseason.

The aptly named system spreads four or sometimes five wide receivers across the field, requiring its running back to be quick and shifty between the tackles -- almost always without the help of a lead-blocking fullback -- plus show the ability to step into the secondary and grab a pass, sometimes out of the slot.

In other words, it's a perfect fit for Smith.

''He can do a lot,'' Pahokee quarterback-to-be Nu'Keese Richardson said, ``as far as catching it out [of] the backfield, making guys miss and stuff like that.''

Added coach Blaze Thompson: ``When he goes to camps, he'll go from wide receiver to running back, wide receiver to running back.

``He runs great routes, and he's powerful.''

Of course, on the other side, such a situation might keep some schools from looking at him -- which seems to be happening with Smith's home-state schools.

Thompson also said other Florida colleges already have commitments or serious interest from similar players, leaving no room on their rosters for another shifty-type back.

SOME MOTIVATION

Still, Smith said the in-state snubs are providing him ''a lot of motivation.'' And it's not as if he is without confidence. The offers he has received tell Smith that there is a place -- perhaps even a high-profile one -- for him on the college level.

''[When I got] my first offer from Michigan,'' Smith said, ``I knew then I was going to be good.''

How good? That's to be determined. Smith said he will visit Michigan, Tennessee and Minnesota in one swing this summer, the first time he has been to any of those campuses.

He hopes to pick one of those -- or another school -- soon after. Whichever his running back chooses, Thompson said, it should be a good fit.

''If somebody puts him in the spread offense,'' Thompson said, ``he'll be successful.''

[GoRU]

Florida teammates poised to pledge to Michigan | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

In the class of 2009, Michigan has already received a verbal commitment from Apopka, Fla., athlete Jeremy Gallon, and is in position to receive several more. Among the strongest possibilities are Pahokee, Fla., teammates Vincent Smith and Brandin Hawthorne. Both prospects are set to announce their commitments at Pahokee’s Kickoff Classic game Aug. 30.

Michigan set a precedent at Pahokee when they signed wide receiver Martavious Odoms from that school in the 2008 class. His pledge helped fix his teammates eyes on the Maize and Blue and now both could be joining him in Ann Arbor in 2009.

FlaVarsity.com publisher Michael Langston, who has covered both Pahokee prospects’ careers the past few years, feels Michigan is the team that has the best chance to land both players.

“With Vincent, it’s the ties there, how he would fit into the system and the fact that Michigan offered him first,” Langston said. “With Brandin, he feels comfortable with that staff and feels he can come right in and play linebacker or whatever position they are going to play him. There’s no guarantees, but those are reasons why I think those two will pick Michigan.”

Smith, a 5-foot-7, 159-pound running back prospect with explosive speed and jaw-dropping agility, also holds offers from the likes of Tennessee, Iowa State, Wisconsin and Minnesota, but has consistently listed Michigan among his favorites.

Hawthorne, at 6-1, 196 pounds, played defensive end as a junior, but projects to the outside linebacker position in college. Besides Michigan, Hawthorne has offers from the likes of Tennessee, West Virginia, South Florida and Louisville.

Hawthorne said Monday that his decision will come down to Michigan, West Virginia and South Florida, but he also predicted that he and Smith would be playing together in college. Michigan is the one school remaining on both prospects’ lists, so the writing appears to be on the wall.

“What stands out (about Michigan) is playing in front of those 100,000-plus fans,” Hawthorne said.

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8/24

From TheWolverine...announcement could get moved up to Thursday but if not it will happen on Saturday. Smith is down to Michigan and Tennessee but says he may also visit schools like Minnesota and Wisconsin after his announcement.

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Florida teammates to decide Friday; Michigan favored | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Michigan’s recruiting class of 2009 added one (Houston kicker Anthony Fera) then subtracted one (quarterback Kevin Newsome) last week, keeping their total number of commitments at 14. That number is expected to increase by week’s end, however, when Pahokee, Fla., teammates Vincent Smith and Brandin Hawthorne announce their decisions on Friday at a 3 p.m. press conference.

Smith, a 5-7, 159-pound running back prospect, and Hawthorne, a 6-1, 196-pound linebacker, have both narrowed their list to two schools. Smith informed me earlier this week he will choose between Michigan and Tennessee, while Hawthorne has recently stated Michigan or Louisville will receive his pledge after initially having West Virginia and Michigan as co-leaders.

Continued...

[MattC87]

Committed to Michigan

[GoRU]

Pahokee's Smith, Hawthorne headed to Michigan

Running back Vincent Smith and defensive end Brandin Hawthorne, two of the top recruits in Palm Beach County, announced their intent to play for the University of Michigan next year.

Smith picked the Wolverines over Tennessee, and Hawthorne's runner-up was Louisville.

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10/28

From TheWolverine...talks about his official visit to UM last weekend...was previously considering visits to Tennessee, Minnesota and Wisconsin but says he is now solid to UM and will not likely take any visits.