โ€˜23 AL S Sylvester Smith

The only thing I donโ€™t like is he mentioned he hasnโ€™t fully shut down his recruitmentโ€ฆ.

โ€œWhile Smith said heโ€™s โ€œnot totally shutting down my recruitment,โ€ with Early Signing Day for the 2023 class still almost eight months away, he added that heโ€™s currently โ€œsold on Tennessee.โ€ And heโ€™s already working toward graduating in December and joining the Vols in January as an early enrolleeโ€
 
Smith flashes elite lateral quickness and change of direction when you turn on the tape. His 5'11, 195lbs frame is well-equipped to deliver brutal blows to opposing players, and his natural ball skills allow him to routinely win one-on-one situations with receivers. If you turn on the film, all of that is pretty easy to see. However, the Yellow Hammer state standout believes his IQ for the game is what sets him apart from others.

"I mean, of course, you see the things on film, but what you really don't see is my IQ," Smith said of what makes his game different. "I have the best IQ in the country, and the way I understand the game, and the way I watch the film and break down film, and am able to tell if they're on the left hash, what's the percentage of them doing this, or what's the percentage of them doing that. Who are they going to go to? What's their alignment? How fast do they want to go here? What's the time on the clock? So really just paying attention to the little things like that helps me be in the right position to make a play or put my teammates in a position to make a play."

Smith is a "grinder" when it comes to his work ethic off the field. He never stops, from training sessions to the weight room to the film room. His IQ for the game grows daily with his skill set as he has aligned with former NFL DB T.J. Heath to grow mentally and physically inside of the game. "I have a trainer named T.J Heath," Smith said of the time he puts in off the field. "He played eight years in the NFL and CFL. I train at least Monday, Wednesday and Friday with him. Sometimes I go four times a week, too. It is really just grinding with him, being able to take away from him what he has learned and applying it to my game. He has been there and done that with guarding the best guys in the country. Just him implementing his knowledge and helping me pair it with my game has been a non-stop thing. I am a junior in high school, but the preparations I am making now are for the next level."
Inside The Game Of Alabama Safety Sylvester Smith - SI All-American
Wow, color me impressed. Got a steal here
 

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