I spoke with Odessa Permian cornerback Desmon Smith last night about picking up his offer from Texas Tech, which he's been really hoping for since he camped with the Red Raiders back in June in Lubbock. Things picked back up with him again over the last few weeks, and after getting to see him in game action a bit this fall, Tech pulled the trigger on Sunday evening.
"It was crazy. I'm really excited about it. I've been waiting on it for a while, so I'm really glad the offer came my way," he said. "I've been hearing from Coach Curtis. He's been talking to me a whole lot, and we really talked about what they can do with my size and my speed. He called and told me what he has in mind for me, what he likes about me, and what they want to do with me."
So, what exactly do the Texas Tech coaches want to do with Smith? A little bit of everything. Safety, nickel, corner, you name it. The Red Raider coaching staff sees the DB as a versatile player they can move around based on week-to-week matchups.
"They're gonna use me wherever they need me really. He said there's not a high chance that I'll be playing the same position two weeks in a row. He said that, with my size and speed, if they need me at safety, they'll put me at safety. If they're running a nickel, they'll put me there. If there's a bigger receiver on the outside, they'll put me there. It's just about wherever they would need me."
So what does he think about that?
"I like the idea of that. I'll learn much more about the game, and I'll get to try something new other than corner, so I'm really excited about that."
Another interesting thing is that Smith actually grew up a fan of Tech being right down the road in Odessa, but he also liked a conference rival of the Red Raiders.
"It's real cool. Growing up just down the road from Tech. I actually grew up a Texas fan and a Tech fan. I know that's weird and sounds really weird," he laughed. "But, when it came down to it, when they played each other, I just always went for whichever team started on defense. But, it's really cool. I'm so excited about the offer."
As for a decision, Smith is planning on committing somewhere after his senior season is over, as he really wants to focus on his team right now. He'll take a visit to Colorado State this weekend, but other than that, he's trying to help his team win as many games as they can at the moment.
"I plan on committing after the season. We're half way through, and I really just want to focus on the season as much I possibly can for my team. But, I'm thinking about making a decision after the season," he said. "I'm taking an official visit to Colorado State this weekend, but that's the only other one I have set up right now."
I saw Smith in action at the camp in Lubbock back in June, and he sticks out like a sore thumb, but in a good way. He's a legit six-two to six-three, and he moves very, very well for his size. I think Tech sees him as a solution to some of these matchup problems they see in the Big 12 against these physically gifted pass catchers, both on the inside and outside.
I know he says he's going to wait to make a decision until after the season, but it wouldn't surprise me if he decided to pull the trigger much sooner. I think the Red Raiders are in a really good spot with him right now.
"It was crazy. I'm really excited about it. I've been waiting on it for a while, so I'm really glad the offer came my way," he said. "I've been hearing from Coach Curtis. He's been talking to me a whole lot, and we really talked about what they can do with my size and my speed. He called and told me what he has in mind for me, what he likes about me, and what they want to do with me."
So, what exactly do the Texas Tech coaches want to do with Smith? A little bit of everything. Safety, nickel, corner, you name it. The Red Raider coaching staff sees the DB as a versatile player they can move around based on week-to-week matchups.
"They're gonna use me wherever they need me really. He said there's not a high chance that I'll be playing the same position two weeks in a row. He said that, with my size and speed, if they need me at safety, they'll put me at safety. If they're running a nickel, they'll put me there. If there's a bigger receiver on the outside, they'll put me there. It's just about wherever they would need me."
So what does he think about that?
"I like the idea of that. I'll learn much more about the game, and I'll get to try something new other than corner, so I'm really excited about that."
Another interesting thing is that Smith actually grew up a fan of Tech being right down the road in Odessa, but he also liked a conference rival of the Red Raiders.
"It's real cool. Growing up just down the road from Tech. I actually grew up a Texas fan and a Tech fan. I know that's weird and sounds really weird," he laughed. "But, when it came down to it, when they played each other, I just always went for whichever team started on defense. But, it's really cool. I'm so excited about the offer."
As for a decision, Smith is planning on committing somewhere after his senior season is over, as he really wants to focus on his team right now. He'll take a visit to Colorado State this weekend, but other than that, he's trying to help his team win as many games as they can at the moment.
"I plan on committing after the season. We're half way through, and I really just want to focus on the season as much I possibly can for my team. But, I'm thinking about making a decision after the season," he said. "I'm taking an official visit to Colorado State this weekend, but that's the only other one I have set up right now."
I saw Smith in action at the camp in Lubbock back in June, and he sticks out like a sore thumb, but in a good way. He's a legit six-two to six-three, and he moves very, very well for his size. I think Tech sees him as a solution to some of these matchup problems they see in the Big 12 against these physically gifted pass catchers, both on the inside and outside.
I know he says he's going to wait to make a decision until after the season, but it wouldn't surprise me if he decided to pull the trigger much sooner. I think the Red Raiders are in a really good spot with him right now.
