From The Road: Thoughts on On300 Michigan QB commit Carter Smith
*** Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot head coach Richie Rode told me this before yesterday’s game against national powerhouse Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) St. Thomas Aquinas: “We’ll see what happens when you punch above your weight class.” Weight classes exist in boxing for a reason. It’s why 168-pound undisputed champion Canelo Alvarez made quick work of 154-pound undisputed champion Jermell Charlo last year. The fight had plenty of hype but was anything but competitive. The same could be said about Thursday night’s Paco’s Tacos Kickoff Classic. Bishop Verot kept it close in the first quarter before St. Thomas Aquinas woke up and reminded everyone why it’s a Top 10 team in America. Bishop Verot struggled in the trenches, didn’t have the depth and couldn’t get anything to work. It’s why jumping up several classifications for a non-conference game probably isn’t the best idea.
*** I say all of that to get to On300 Michigan quarterback commit Carter Smith. No, his stat line was not pretty. Smith completed 9-of-12 passes for just 66 yards to go all along with 56 yards on the ground (all rushing yards came in the first half). Smith did this in about two and a half quarters of action as the second half featured a running clock due to Florida’s mercy rule — the game was a 37-0 blowout after the first drive following intermission. Smith certainly showed some flashes of what made him last year’s Gatorade Player of the Year in the state or Florida. He had a couple of 15-yard-plus runs and also made a really nice throw on the move towards the end of the contest. But those moments were far and few between. Verot called screens that went nowhere or for negative yards, and Smith displayed the same happy feet he did last year as protection from his offensive line was less than ideal.
*** Smith’s struggles were a combination of a lot of things. From the offensive line to the play calling to Smith himself just needing to play a bit better. But the bottom line is that Verot was completely outmatched. In the second quarter, it became very apparent that the gap between both programs is very wide. That’s no diss on Verot. They were a quarterfinalist last season, but again, classifications, like weight classes, exist for a reason. This game left me with more questions than answers about Smith. I already knew he could run. He is easily one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the country. I already knew he was athletic enough to avoid a rush and make a big throw on the move. I already knew he had the arm strength to rifle in passes, which he did twice — one for a 25-yard gain on a slant and another for a 7-yard gain on a comeback at the sticks. As mentioned, there were flashes. Minimal flashes, of course, but flashes that just checked the usual boxes.
*** What I still don’t know is if Smith has truly improved his motion. The release is tighter — I saw that in the spring — but the overall mechanics were still a bit questionable. I’m still not sure if Smith is going to utilize his hips or improve his feet in the pocket. There were almost no true drop back opportunities for him. I still don’t know if Smith has added more touch on his deep passes — he only took one shot, which was an overthrow while under pressure. Remember, this was Smith’s first full offseason dedicated to football and working with quarterback trainers. I’m excited to see him again in October against a level playing field. That should help me answer some of these questions and also allow me to see if the training has translated to game days.
*** Overall, I know some of y’all watched last night’s game online and came away disappointed. A few members even wrote Smith off completely. I wouldn’t do that. Smith still has all the tools to excel at Michigan. His ability to run is outstanding, he has high end arm strength and he has a great frame. There is a lot for Michigan quarterbacks coach and offensive coordinator Kirk Campbell to work with. I still believe Smith has one of the highest ceilings in the country, but he also has a low floor, hence why I have had him graded as a Top 175-225 prospect. That’s the same range I had Jadyn Davis graded (gasp!!!!) for the opposite reason — high floor, low ceiling. The dynamic between the two will be very interesting to watch in Ann Arbor. They are polar opposite quarterbacks. For now, the season is still very young, and Smith has a lot of senior ball left to show what he can do.
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