Chaminade-Madonna S Keontra Smith signed with Miami today. He is the 6th signee of the day.
The 5-11, 195-pounder is currently a 4-star in the national rankings. According to the 247Sports Composite, Smith is the #185 player nationally, #15 S in the country, and the #26 player in the Sunshine State.
Recruiting Story
Keontra Smith had his choice of pretty much any school in the country, as he had offers from Alabama, Michigan, Florida, and Auburn just to name a few. Despite that loaded list of offers, Smith knew he was going to be a Hurricane the moment Miami offered him. From the time he committed, Smith has not so much as flirted with any other schools, much less taken any visits. Smith is a true Cane.
Evaluation
Keontra Smith will be a safety at Miami but he played linebacker at Chaminade. This may be a concern to some but to me it just shows versatility. It also shows me that he could play striker as well. On the field, Smith is a punishing hitter. Once he reads run, Smith doesn’t hesitate to explode through the line and make the stop. He’s an excellent form tackler and is elite at disguising his coverages and toying with high school QB’s; Smith makes it hard to distinguish if he’s blitzing or dropping back. Smith allows the QB’s eyes and pattern recognition to carry him around the field. Ideally, he’d be a little taller and is a bit undersized height-wise, but that shouldn’t hold him back much at the college level if he develops the rest of his game properly.
The Team
Next year in 2019, Miami loses established starters Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine to graduation and only Robert Knowles, Amari Carter, and Gurvan Hall return at safety. Miami is hoping Carter and Hall have developed enough by then to handle full-time starting roles, with Knowles acting as an experienced senior backup.
Redshirt Probability: 2/10
Smith will not be arriving until the summer, but you have to expect he gets serious playing time next you. Whether he is playing striker or he is playing safety, this guy needs to be on the field. Smith is too good of an athlete and a football player to take a redshirt year. I don’t want to say no chance because anything can happen, but I would be shocked if Smith wasn’t a significant part of the rotation week one next season.
The 5-11, 195-pounder is currently a 4-star in the national rankings. According to the 247Sports Composite, Smith is the #185 player nationally, #15 S in the country, and the #26 player in the Sunshine State.
Recruiting Story
Keontra Smith had his choice of pretty much any school in the country, as he had offers from Alabama, Michigan, Florida, and Auburn just to name a few. Despite that loaded list of offers, Smith knew he was going to be a Hurricane the moment Miami offered him. From the time he committed, Smith has not so much as flirted with any other schools, much less taken any visits. Smith is a true Cane.
Evaluation
Keontra Smith will be a safety at Miami but he played linebacker at Chaminade. This may be a concern to some but to me it just shows versatility. It also shows me that he could play striker as well. On the field, Smith is a punishing hitter. Once he reads run, Smith doesn’t hesitate to explode through the line and make the stop. He’s an excellent form tackler and is elite at disguising his coverages and toying with high school QB’s; Smith makes it hard to distinguish if he’s blitzing or dropping back. Smith allows the QB’s eyes and pattern recognition to carry him around the field. Ideally, he’d be a little taller and is a bit undersized height-wise, but that shouldn’t hold him back much at the college level if he develops the rest of his game properly.
The Team
Next year in 2019, Miami loses established starters Jaquan Johnson and Sheldrick Redwine to graduation and only Robert Knowles, Amari Carter, and Gurvan Hall return at safety. Miami is hoping Carter and Hall have developed enough by then to handle full-time starting roles, with Knowles acting as an experienced senior backup.
Redshirt Probability: 2/10
Smith will not be arriving until the summer, but you have to expect he gets serious playing time next you. Whether he is playing striker or he is playing safety, this guy needs to be on the field. Smith is too good of an athlete and a football player to take a redshirt year. I don’t want to say no chance because anything can happen, but I would be shocked if Smith wasn’t a significant part of the rotation week one next season.
