Notre Dame Film Room: 2024 Defensive End Jacob Smith
Among the talented defensive lineman on the board, 2024 Cheshire (Conn.) Academy pass rusher Jacob Smith is a player that Notre Dame is extremely high on. A true hyper type, Smith brings a very appealing combination of traits that project favorably on the next level.
Here is how he could potentially fit on the next level. It would be a near seamless transition as a Vyper into the Irish defense.
Here’s the Irish Breakdown film analysis of Smith.
PROSPECT PROFILE
Hometown/High School: Cheshire, CT/Cheshire Academy
Height/Weight: 6-4/225
IB Grade: 4.0 (Top 250 prospect)
Upside Grade: 4.5
Offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, USC, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas A&M, South Carolina, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Maryland, Kentucky, North Carolina, Ole Miss, Iowa, Louisville, Pittsburgh, Virginia, Wake Forest, Boston College, Arizona, Syracuse, Georgia Tech, Rutgers
FILM ROOM
Here is what Scott brings to the table on film.
Size/Frame/Power - Smith brings a really nice frame for the Vyper position. At 6-4 he has a well proportioned frame for a high school junior, possessing an easy projection to add more good mass to the frame long term. He also boasts good length for the position, appearing to have a very nice wingspan for a standup rusher to play outside of his frame consistently. Smith’s lower body is well put together, showcasing a strong base to build off of.
His initial pop can be a little inconsistent but is more due to his inconsistent hand usage than any deficiency when it comes to power profile. When he’s able to play with a consistent base, Smith shows surprising anchor to sit down at the point of attack. That remains true with Smith’s ability to drive and consistently move through contact. He shows the ability to come to balance as a tackler and to deliver solid strikes to opposing ball carriers.
Athletic Skills - There is a slight false step for Smith when coming out of his stance. That affects his ability to consistently gain ground out of his stance but when he does, he is explosive. He has nice quickness and suddenness out of his stance, really showing some outstanding twitch as a standup rusher. Smith’s change of direction is also impressive, showing the talent to play in pursuit, work in coverage and even play on the second level at times.
Flexibility is the name of the game for Smith, who is able to easily bend the track and rush with speed and finish plays up the track. His lateral quickness is also nice, easily able to change direction and work in pursuit. When he gets close to a ball carrier, Smith’s closing speed allows him to finish plays both as a run defender and pass rusher.
Technique/Instincts - Whether he lines up as a standup rusher or with his hand in the ground, Smith’s get off is the most inconsistent part of his game. He has a false step out of his stance, losing ground off the start too often. Smith’s pad level is solid but inconsistent at times. When he keeps low pads, he is able to play with consistent leverage to make plays in the run game. He also has moments of really good hand usage at the point of attack.
Smith has shown the ability to play with extension in the run game and work off of blocks well. He also looks in control, making plays even when he has to work through traffic and contact. The snap anticipation is quite good, although his inconsistent first step doesn’t always take advantage of it. Smith plays with a good feel of the game, locating the football quickly and showcasing the closing speed to make a bevy of plays. He has a nice tackle radius, showing a consistent approach as a tackler to routinely get ball carriers to the ground.
Run Game - in the run game, Smith shows the baseline to become a plus run defender with some technical refinement. He plays with a consistent base, having an easy power profile to work with. Smith also does play with low hands, showing the ability to create and establish leverage at the point of contact. His hands have some natural power in them, showcasing the ability to stack and shed to get off blocks and make plays.
Smith’s length also allows him to play outside of his frame and keep blockers off of his body. On the front side of runs, he can be inconsistent at times. There is clear development that he needs to experience, specifically adding mass and power to his frame. Working from the backside is Smith’s biggest impact right now. He can work in pursuit extremely well, making a bevy of plays with his range and relentlessness.
Pass Game - When Smith fires out of his stance without a false step, he is quick and explosive with some prominent twitch coming around the corner. He plays mostly with low pads, Smith can create a nice amount of push to the pocket and easy power. Smith is an outside track winner with the bend to win around the edge consistently. His pass rush repertoire is limited, having the ability to win mostly with his first step, explosiveness and flexibility.
Smith does show some evidence of an inside counter which allows him to create some two way goes as a rusher. He can also reduce angles with his bend, creating some easy pathways to the quarterbacks. Smith is also used in pass coverage a decent amount. His fluid hips and length allow him to make plays in that department, even carrying running backs down the field in man coverage at times.
AREAS FOR IMPROVEMENT
The biggest inconsistency with Smith’s game right now is his false step out of his stance. He boasts some outstanding baseline traits of explosiveness, twitch and flexibility but getting an inconsistent start to reps can affect his ability to create havoc on a snap to snap perspective. When he is consistently coming out of the blocks, Smith is extremely difficult to stop. He has fantastic upside as an outside track winner when consistent.
Another area or improvement that Smith needs is just natural maturation and improvement of his power profile. He has a pretty powerful lower body but needs to add mass to his frame. When Smith does, he’ll be able to play off contact even better and finish more plays working through traffic.
NOTRE DAME FIT
Smith is an ideal fit into the Notre Dame defense as a Vyper. His combination of explosiveness, length and flexibility allows him to really create headaches in one on one situations. The Connecticut native also has had some experience on the second level and working in pass coverage effectively. That experience should allow for the Irish defender to be versatile in how they deploy the position.
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