Film Friday: Bruins' WR Commit Jonah Smith

Strengths

Catch and Go: one thing that I was very impressed with and Smith’s tape was his ability to catch the ball and and turn it up field while at times I felt that he couldn’t create as much space as someone would like he still found a way to get up building and get you a couple extra yards even on easy and simple hitch routes. If you need a quick-hitting type of wide receiver, Smith is excellent at that and can easily gain a few extra yards every time after catching the ball.

Finds a Way Forward: It doesn’t matter if there’s one guy tackling him, two guys tackling him, or the whole team tackling him. One thing that I’ve noticed is that Smith always tries to find a way to fall forward, and the majority of the time, he is very successful doing so. This is exactly what you would want in a wide receiver, as every yard matters in a game of football. There are some things that Smith may not be able to beat you with, but when in doubt, you know, he is going to get you a few extra yards after the catch.

High-Point Catches: Smith is a go-getter type of wide receiver. If it is thrown over a defender's head, you'd better believe he’s bringing that ball down. This is exactly what you want in the physicality of this type of wide receiver. While this is a trait that you have to have a very solid quarterback for due to the ability to pinpoint this pass, you can expect Smith to be a guy who can bring the ball down and complete the play instead of just having 1/2 of the play completed.

Outside Step: Smith is great off the line, and I noticed very quickly that he can make a step to the outside very smoothly. This is something that allows him to create separation away from the defensive back who attempts to try to gain ground on someone who has pretty solid speed. The separation created is very overwhelming at times, which can lead to very easy touchdowns.

Impactful Blocking: one of the best things about Smith is his ability to block on the outside, while he will probably be utilized as both of slot and outside Guy for the UCLA Bruins. He brings a very unique trait of being able to hold an impactful block by staying in front of his defender or even catching them off guard while still not blurring the lines of A: a peel-back block or B: a blind side block. He has a beautiful blocking technique, which could carry over very well to the college level.

Things To Work On

Sit Down in the Short Routes Faster: one thing that I don’t think is necessarily bad but could use a little bit of work is his ability to get to a sit-down route and sit down faster. It takes him a bit of time to really get set and ready for the ball, which yes, it is countered by the fact that he can turn our field, but it would be even more lethal if he were able to sit down faster in routes like hitches and slants where he’s coming across the field and just turning for the ball.

On The Run Catches: while you can often see that it is designed for Smith to sit down on a route. I would like to see him utilize the catch-and-go type of routes. I feel as if he has a very solid trait, and being able to catch the ball and turn upfield, but we often don’t see him catching the ball and running upfield. It is very telling when he is sitting down and looking directly at the quarterback, which is something that won’t work as much in college.

Overall Recap

Overall, there is plenty more good than bad with Smith. There aren’t any glaring issues in Smith's game that will set him back in college; it’s just more nitpicking things on things that he could do better or work on. As a whole, I believe that he will be a huge weapon for the UCLA Bruins down the line and I also grade him as one of if not the top wide receiver in the class for the UCLA Bruins at this time he remains committed to the Bruins and unless something unfortunate happens, he will be signing his letter with the Bruins.