Recruiting: Cincinnati Corner Has A Strong Bond With Mickens

Notre Dame has a new corners coach in Mike Mickens, and he already has a strong bond with a top 2021 cornerback target.

There is little doubt that cornerback is one of the biggest needs and priorities of the 2021 class. New coach Mike Mickens wasn’t officially hired until the first days of March, so he now embarks on recruiting for the class at least two months behind other top programs.

The 2021 cornerbacks class is finally ready to gain some traction on the recruiting trail, and Mickens is already putting work on the trail.

One of the top targets for Mickens after he was hired is Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle standout Devonta Smith. Considering Mickens was hired from Cincinnati, this is a talented prospect the new corners coach is quick familiar with.

Smith is a consensus three-star recruit, but the 6-0, 185-pound corner already has offers from Notre Dame, Alabama, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, Nebraska, Louisville, Tennessee, Virginia Tech, Northwestern and many more. Of course, Cincinnati was one of those schools to offer the LaSalle standout.

Mickens has made quick work of getting on the trail, and Smith was an immediate priority.

“We have been on Facetime three times since he has been officially hired, and he told me that I’m his main priority,” Smith said of his conversations with Mickens since he arrived at Notre Dame.

It’s clear that Mickens wants to continue to build on this currently existing relationship, and the feeling is mutual.

“We have always been close, that’s my guy,” Smith said of Mickens. “He’s a legend in Cincinnati, with what he did and how he developed some guys that are still there, I love him as a coach.”

Mickens’ accomplishments as a developer are well known by Smith, who has drawn comparisons to 2019 Freshman All-American Cincinnati cornerback Ahmad Gardner, one of Mickens’ pupils.

“He has compared me to him before, and that is something that has stuck with me and is big,” Smith explained.

The top of the board prospect believes that he can make that same instant impact that Gardner did, which is needed after a developmental 2020 defensive back signing class.

“I feel as if I can, most definitely,” Smith stated.

It is imperative to get Smith on campus soon if the Irish want a real shot at landing the talented cornerback. This might happen sooner rather than later, which is potentially huge news for the Irish.

“I should be able to get down there very soon, meaning sometime in March,” the La Salle standout informed me.

Smith would be a huge addition for the Irish, as Mickens sees him as a top of the board player, which I can envision too from watching his film on multiple occasions.

DRISKELL FILM ANALYSIS

“There is a lot of Julian Love in Smith’s game. Like Love, Smith plays more safety and slot than he does corner, which was true of Love as a senior. He’s a physically tough corner that plays the run well and he’s very instinctive when the ball is in the air.

“Smith shows above average speed, strong foot agility and impressive body control. Like Love, he is a two-way standout in high school, although Smith plays wide receiver while Love was a running back. He isn’t a pure cover player like Troy Pride Jr., but he projects quite well to be a able to play off man and zone at a high level, then using his quickness and instincts to drive on routes and play the ball, and that’s the primary area where the Love comparisons fit best.”