USC Commit wants to Finish Strong

Myrtle Beach, S.C. - USC Commit Dak Smith of Westchester High School in Los Angeles, Calif. has had turbulent senior season, and he's looking forward to making a lasting impression at the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Dak Smith is a prospect that has drawn a lot of eyes the past year because of sheer size. He committed to USC in the spring, and he's listed on the Offense-Defense Defense All-American Bowl roster at 6-9 and 385 pounds. There's an old saying from the NBA draft that says if you're going to miss on a player, miss on a 7-footer.

With his size, Smith automatically becomes an interesting prospect, despite not being a dominant player during his high school days at Westchester. 

As it turns out, I live in the same school district that Smith plays, yet I'd never seen him. I went by the school for spring workouts, and he was a no-show. I went to a game this year and he wasn't in attendance. When I arrived in Myrtle Beach last night for the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl, I was told that Smith missed his flight and wasn't coming.

So, it was a pleasant surprise when Scout's Allen Trieu said to me this morning, "it doesn't take long to pick out Dak Smith, does it?", as he motioned towards the colossus with the big hair.

Smith stayed in his warm-ups on the day and didn't participate in practice because neither his helmet nor his jersey would fit, and there wasn't a helmet available for him that actually did fit.

After practice I got a chance to talk with Smith, and he was very forthcoming about his struggles during his senior season.

"This is the kind of football I've been waiting for," he said with a big smile and a mention to the 40 degree weather. "I can't wait to get out there."

When asked about his season at Westchester, Smith just kind of shook his head.

"I sprained my ankle in the first game, and missed a couple of games after that. And believe it or not it sounds bad, but I got swing flu. I missed two games in the middle of the season. I was in bed for 18 hours a day and just couldn't move."

I've likened Smith's recruitment to Kwame Geathers of 2009. Geathers, a giant defensive tackle, was a late bloomer who looked lost as a junior and a man among boys as a senior. Matt Whittier of Offense-Defense laughed when remembering Geathers last year, "He single handedly ruined our game last year, because no one could block him."

Geathers ended up at Georgia and has drawn rave reviews as a redshirt freshman. I'm looking forward to seeing if Smith can make the same transition.

He certainly has the tools.

The Offense-Defense All American Bowl will be played at Doug Shaw Memorial Stadium on Saturday, January 2 at 5pm and be broadcast live on Fox College Sports. Tickets will be $20.00 at the gate, $10.00 online. For more information on the Offense-Defense All-American Bowl or to purchase tickets you may go to www.o-d.com or call 843-903-1888.