One of the top multi-positional players in the country has made his long-awaited college decision. John “JuJu” Smith committed to USC on National Signing Day, joining five-star cornerback Adoree’ Jackson and No. 1 guard Damien Mama as the Trojans’ Wednesday additions.
5-star ATH John ‘JuJu’ Smith commits to USC over Oregon, Notre Dame, UCLA
John “JuJu” Smith, one of the most coveted players in the 2014 recruiting class, pledged his commitment to the Trojans on National Signing Day.
Stephen Dunn
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Smith, listed at 6’1 and 200 pounds, attends Long Beach Poly (Calif.) High School, and is one of the top players from the Golden State. Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals and Scout, as well as the 247sports composite, which aggregates the ratings of all four major recruiting services. ESPN and 247sports consider Smith a high four-star recruit.
Smith can play multiple positions, but is primarily considered a safety or a wide receiver, with most analysts calling defensive back his best spot. Scout and Rivals rank him as the No. 2 safety in his class. 247sports and ESPN ranked him as the fourth- and third-best “athlete” in his class, respectively. The 247sports composite considers him a five-star recruit, ranking him as the 20th-best prospect in the class, the third-best athlete and the second-best player in the state of California.
SB Nation West Coast recruiting analyst Derrell Warren was incredibly high on Smith’s skillset.
Smith is one of the top recruits in the country. A two-way player, he projects best on defense but is also impressive lined up as a pass catcher as well. From a physical standpoint Smith possesses a near prototypical size for his likely college position of safety.
Smith has excellent body control for such a big-framed kid. On offense this attribute is shown with his ability to contort his frame to adjust to off-target throws. He also exhibits plus level suddenness when executing double moves as a receiver, able to turn his hips to sell a sharp cut before accelerating vertically.
Smith is relatively new to the safety position but flashes the ability to redirect in space and close quickly. He is efficient with his footwork and takes great routes to the play. Would like to see him be slightly more decisive when coming downhill versus the run, but is a physical striker with great balance.
An excellent pass defender, Smith has some of the best ball skills of any player in the nation (regardless of position), consistently winning in “50/50 ball” situations by using his big frame to get in position to make plays on the football.
Due to how big he projects to get physically, Smith might be best served operating in a two-deep shell alignment or as a box defender in cover three. Regardless, he carries the upside to mature into a multi-year starter at a high BCS program with All-Conference and All-American potential.
Highlights from Smith’s junior year show off all of his jaw-dropping potential:
