Analysis and Evaluation of 2022 DB Commit Evan Smith

The Alabama native has all the tools to be successful at the next level.
Analysis and Evaluation of 2022 DB Commit Evan Smith
Analysis and Evaluation of 2022 DB Commit Evan Smith /

Back on July 3, three-star quarterback Evan Smith announced his commitment to Northwestern. He chose to join the Wildcats over fellow Power 5 powerhouse Duke as well as 15 other schools.

Smith has shown versatility at the high school level, playing multiple positions throughout his career including quarterback, wide receiver and cornerback, where the Wildcats currently have him slotted.

In his junior season, Smith ran for 1,719 yards and 24 TDs while also throwing for 712 yards and six touchdowns. He helped Oak Mountain get out to the best start in the program's history (4-0), and the team finished the season with a 7-5 record. Smith was named to the Class 7A All-State second-team for his efforts.

Smith also stars for his high school basketball team as well where this past season he helped lead the Eagles to a state championship.

Below are his highlights from his junior season along with an analysis of his strengths and weaknesses.

Analysis:

What jumps off the tape watching Evan Smith is his knack for finding the seams in a defense and using his next-level speed to burst through them. He did this in a variety of different positions at Oak Mountain whether it was quarterback, wide receiver, or running back, but the result was always the same.

The biggest question mark when analyzing Smith is how that ability will translate to the defensive end. Most of his snaps came with him playing a major role in his team’s offense so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts to the other side of the ball. However, with his speed and ability to read the field, it shouldn’t be too long before he figures it out and becomes a real asset for the Wildcats.

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Jonathan Fernandez
JONATHAN FERNANDEZ

Jonathan Fernandez is a reporter and writer for Wildcats Daily Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Fernandez is also pursuing his master's degree in sports media at Northwestern Medill.