Green (#137) vs. Smith
Obviously most people on here are excited by the prospect of Green coming to Ann Arbor, and by all accounts he's a strong prospect who may very well wear the Maize and Blue.
But I want to follow up on some comments made sporadically in Derrick Green posts #1-136. Namely, what differentiates him from our current commit at RB, DeVeon Smith? I mean in terms of running style, strengths to their game and in terms of what they potentially bring to the table. Obviously Green is the more highly touted recruit, and just as obviously that doesn't necessarily mean anything, but to the people who are good at parsing recruiting information as well as those who have observed both kids play: assuming we got both of them, how do you see their respective careers at UM playing out?
January 12th, 2013 at 1:34 PM ^
After both breaking the current career rushing yard and rushing TD NCAA records, they will both leave for the NFL after their junior seasons and go #1 and #2 in the NFL draft.
January 12th, 2013 at 1:46 PM ^
No, they will clearly forsake the money and come back for their Senior years after having a long heart-to-heart with Lewan on why he stayed.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:44 PM ^
A heart-to-heart-with-Hart about why he stayed.
January 12th, 2013 at 1:35 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 1:35 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 1:38 PM ^
Grady was a 5* and busted
Hart was a 3* and was amazing
I dunno
January 12th, 2013 at 1:41 PM ^
then Maurice Hurst Jr will be forced to go back to his HS role as a RB where he will run for 2,000 every year before leaving early for the NFL and being Mr Irrelevant
January 12th, 2013 at 10:12 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 1:42 PM ^
No Question.
January 12th, 2013 at 1:47 PM ^
The difference is that Green will need to be fitted for a new jersey. Smith can come right in and wear this jersey:
January 12th, 2013 at 4:40 PM ^
Wish this site would give guys like Vinny Smith a little more love. That kid did everything ever asked of him beyond his size and talent level, and gave Michigan 110%. Blame the worst offensive line in 50 years for the Clowney decleating, but even then, Smith still tried to regain possession of the ball. Vince Smith is one of my favorite Wolverines of the last 10 years.
January 12th, 2013 at 4:43 PM ^
The 2008 offensive line says hello.
January 12th, 2013 at 1:50 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 1:53 PM ^
We were well-behaved through the first 135 Green posts or so, but now we've gone a little bit south.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
Green is turning into the next Kozan on this board. Frankly, a bunch of us are pretty fed up.
Secondly, this is the kind of question that could easily be researched (Magnus has done some semblance of a scouting report on both of them on Touch The Banner, etc.) and has probably been answered at least once in the past.
Also, what is "the typical Michigan?" AFAIK, there's only one Michigan.
January 12th, 2013 at 1:57 PM ^
If you go and watch their highlight vids, I think that you will notice the difference.
DeVeon Smith
- Runs high, doesn't pick up his knees/feet very well
- is good at weaving, better now at cutting than he showed in jr highlights
- looks like a bigger, physical back....or linebacker
- tough SOB to tackle
- does not have top end speed
- falls forward for that extra yard
- less apt to be the honorable recipient of the Fred Jackson's Yearly Superlative Allegory
Derrick Green
- extremely patient following blocks
- great vision
- keeps feet churning
- good at cutbacks
- has some breakaway ability
- bigger than Smith but plays more like a polished runner than a physical back
- more likely to be the recipient of the Fred Jackson's Yearly Superlative Allegory
January 13th, 2013 at 11:31 AM ^
This was what I was looking for. Thanks for taking a serious question seriously. Very informative!
January 12th, 2013 at 1:59 PM ^
i think borges will end up using both of them like saban used ingram and richardson. use both backs and keep them energetic and fresh.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:16 PM ^
Correct I think Michigan will use both backs like Saban used Ingram and Richardson, or like Saban used Lacy and Yeldon. I fkn hate alabama....
January 12th, 2013 at 2:39 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 2:45 PM ^
Let me clarify. I meant that Michigan could have a strong 1/2 punch with two good running backs like Alabama has had for a while.
Yes, neither of these backs are a Yeldon type.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:52 PM ^
Green could be like Eddie Lacy, but Michigan won't have another back like Yeldon/Richardson/Ingram. The pickings are slim behind him (if he comes).
January 12th, 2013 at 3:11 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 5:47 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 10:09 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 2:03 PM ^
According to Scout, he is set to announce at 4 p.m. Jan. 26. Just saw it on their forum.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:14 PM ^
I should've figured.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:19 PM ^
You get bonus points for posting something you didn't check the board for in a thread. Instead of...you know...freaking out and posting it blindly trying to be the first.
+1
January 12th, 2013 at 2:07 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 2:11 PM ^
After seeing highlights of both of them, I think Smith is more of bowling ball type back, who bounces off of first contact and goes for an extra yard or two, where as Green is likely to make the first defender miss and pick up an additional 4-5 yds or more until someone brings him down from behind or multiple people get to him. IMHO Green is the back who gets the ball on 1st and 10, Smith is the back who gets the ball on 4th and 1. Neither of them seem to possess that extra gear once they get in the open field to break away, but both are hard to bring down once they're moving. Personally I come away more impressed with Smith after viewing his highlights, but Green's the number 1 back in the country for a reason.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^
I don't have an eye for talent evaluation. But I keep hearing that Green's competition in High School was more competitve than Smith's. Green landed the number 1 running back slot in the class going against very good competition. The fact that he ended up being rated as a 5 star against strong competition is why I'm excited about him.
Don't get me wrong I'm psyched that we landed Smith and look forward to him coming here. With our running game not looking so great, it's easy to get excited for Green once we already have a highly touted back coming in this class with Smith.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:27 PM ^
the level of competition that Green has faced is superior to what Smith has faced, which could very well affect how their highlights look.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:29 PM ^
Exactly, I wrote the same thing in a response to someone else at the same time you posted this.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:41 PM ^
Yes. If you want to watch a video of DeVeon Smith being too slow to outrun a bunch of scrawny white kids and cutting back numerous times, here you go:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0XzS8zWMuQ
Of course, Mike Hart didn't play against the toughest competition and had a similar need to cut back instead of ever flat-out outrunning somebody. But slow running backs aren't ideal, in my opinion.
January 12th, 2013 at 3:18 PM ^
I understand the issue of different levels of competition, but to me Green and Smith look pretty similar. Relatively little shake-and-bake, mostly running north and south, and they don't go down on first contact. Neither one looks like a burner to me at all.
January 12th, 2013 at 4:07 PM ^
I wouldn't say either one is a burner, but Smith looks slow-ish and Green looks fast-ish.
January 12th, 2013 at 3:43 PM ^
You should mention that those are Deveon Smith's junior highlights. A player can get a lot better from junior to senior season (as shown by one Derrick Green imo). Not saying he has, just that it should be noted.
January 12th, 2013 at 4:21 PM ^
Those were great highlights of Smith and all, but did anyone else see the block at about the :50 mark?
January 12th, 2013 at 2:28 PM ^
No love for Wyatt Shallman?
January 12th, 2013 at 2:35 PM ^
No. Especially if Michigan snags Derrick Green, I don't see Shallman getting a sniff at the tailback position except maybe an occasional jumbo package on the goal line.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:38 PM ^
It was more or less sarcasm, depending on how you interpret it.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:41 PM ^
I know... I'm just not sure what the whole Shallman recruitment means. I mean, I really just don't get it. Unless the coaches were just feeding him a line to get him on campus before moving him to defense or something. It bottles my mind.
January 12th, 2013 at 3:53 PM ^
I can see him on offense as some sort of FB/TE/H Back, type deal... maybe a short yardage back... although just for the fun of it, I wouldn't mind seeing Hurst in that role...
January 12th, 2013 at 4:08 PM ^
I can see that, too, just not as a tailback.
January 12th, 2013 at 3:53 PM ^
January 12th, 2013 at 4:07 PM ^
IBC Root Beer.
January 12th, 2013 at 4:13 PM ^
...Red Pop or Rock and Rye for me.
That being said, I'll buy you a bottle of IBC at the next MGoBlog Convention.
January 12th, 2013 at 2:43 PM ^
If Michigan gets Derrick Green, I think Green will win the job by his sophomore year (perhaps even freshman year, depending on Fitzgerald Toussaint's health). Smith would likely be relegated to a backup role.
If Michigan doesn't get Derrick Green, then I think we'll have a stable of ineffective running backs (Rawls, Hayes, Smith, Shallman, etc.) and I'll once again hope for a gamebreaker in the 2014 class.
January 12th, 2013 at 3:38 PM ^
Two things will help getting a gamebreaking back, a strong offensive line play, and more touches for the current backs... As much as I loved Denard's running ability, through taking away their touches he was one of the reasons why an elite back would have second thoughts about coming to Michigan.