Rivals250 OLB Clayton Smith commits to Oklahoma

As Clayton Smith unveiled his six finalists on Mother's Day, he already had an idea of where he'd be playing his college football. The anticipation of waiting until the All-American Bowl in San Antonio, Texas this January quickly became too much.

On Friday, the Rivals250 outside linebacker from Texarkana (Texas) Texas High committed to Oklahoma, a school that was immersed in Smith's private top three along with Texas and LSU. Kentucky, Oregon and Florida State were other finalists for the four-star prospect from East Texas.

Linebackers coach Jamar Cain and Sooners head man Lincoln Riley led the charge for Smith and have been in pursuit for more than a year. Smith was able to visit Norman, Okla., on multiple occasions over the past year, including trips last summer for the July recruiting barbecue.

"It wasn’t very easy. I’ve made a lot of good bonds with some coaches that hopefully continue once the six are released, but I’ve looked deeply into these schools and I honestly feel like these are the places that will benefit me and my family the most and also help obtain the ultimate goal -- the NFL," Smith told Rivals earlier this month.

"Oklahoma is another one that (I know is) gonna come down to the wire. I’ve talked with Coach (Lincoln) Riley on several occasions and he’s made it clear that I’m one of their top priorities. Coach (Jamar) Cain and I are also in close contact and they’ve been on me for almost a year now, so they're obviously one of the favorites."

Smith, the No. 211 overall player in the country, is the No. 14-ranked outside linebacker and the No. 26 player out of the Lone Star State for the 2021 class. He's the seventh member of Oklahoma's recruiting class, which entered Friday ranked uncharacteristically outside the top-50 in the Rivals team rankings. Smith is the third Texan in the class along with three-star tackle Cullen Montgomery and four-star wide receiver Cody Jackson, and the second linebacker to go along with Florida three-star Danny Stutsman.

"It came down to my top three of Oklahoma, LSU and Texas. This week, I focused on seeing which was the best fit for me and my family and we kept talking about who can get me to the NFL. I've been talking it over with the coaches and it came down to Oklahoma being the best fit for me."

"With Oklahoma, everything was straightforward to me. No lies ... What they were saying -- about when I get there -- you can't go against it. They check every single box .. literally. There's nothing negative about Oklahoma and we looked and we couldn't find one. I couldn't wait any longer to commit."

"Honestly, the coaches told me I can play at four different spots. I'm looking forward to that and them putting me in the best situation because my goal is to be the most versatile player in college football when it's my time. I won't be playing one specific spot or one specific role; they didn't tell me 'You'll be playing this' or in 'these' packages at all. They told me that I'm gonna play all these spots and be an athlete, and I love it."

"I already knew (my decision) after visiting (last July) and talking with Coach Riley when I went to visit them. On the ride home, I knew it felt like home. Honestly, it has been on my mind ever since and I didn't feel the need to wait (until January) and I didn't want to wait on it. I wanted them to know I was all in so I went ahead and committed to get this ball rolling."

Smith showed signs of being a promising edge-defender after his sophomore season, but doubled and, in some cases, quadrupled his production as a junior in 2019. The East Texas standout has morphed into a disruptive, playmaking force off the edge capable of making plays in coverage and harassing opposing quarterbacks with a large dose of athleticism and a high probability for turnovers.

Last season, Smith accounted for 94 tackles, including 40 stops for loss, to go along with an eye-opening 20 sacks and 8 forced fumbles. He added another 10 catches for 237 yards and 6 touchdowns on the offensive side of the ball. Smith ended the 2019 season with First-Team All-District 9-5A Division-II honors as a defensive end.

Smith is a multi-sport standout. In addition to being the top-rated outside linebacker from the Lone Star State, he plays basketball and track and field. Last spring, Smith recorded a 5-foot-10-inch mark in the high jump.

The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder is a raw, physical force coming off the edge. He's incredibly disruptive and explosive when coming out of his two-point stance. He tends to take direct lines to opposing quarterbacks and will crash and battle in the trenches to get to the endpoint. Smith pursues with great balance, natural speed and with some basic pass-rush technique like a stab move because he bends extremely well around the edge and can power through defenders over the top.

Smith is noticeably long with a tremendous wingspan, which is why the stab move is such an effective technique for him in his arsenal. He plays with violent hands that give opposing linemen plenty of headaches, not to mention his natural speed. As he continues to develop and adds more pass-rushing moves to his game, Smith will continue to grow and improve in this area. His length, however, allows him to disrupt passing lanes and bat down balls at the line of scrimmage. It also helps him wrap up quarterbacks and ball-carriers with ease.

Smith has proven to be an effective pass-rusher as a traditional stand-up outside linebacker, but he also takes snaps standing up as a 5-technique or if he travels to a middle linebacker position. He brings unique position versatility to any defense and is a well-rounded defender against the run and pass, in addition to his pass-rushing prowess.

One aspect of Smith's game that stands out on film is his veracity. He's built to get after the passer in a 3-4 defensive front and by allowing him to crash off the edge, Smith is geared to be a vicious finisher. He packs a ton of bite in each tackle and he constantly looks to strip the football or knock it loose. That resulted in 20 sacks from a stand-up position in 2019 and eight forced fumbles. Smith is a big play waiting to happen.

Smith played spot duty on offense and managed six touchdowns in the process. His 6-foot-4 frame gives him a distinct height advantage, but it's also a glimpse into how he projects in pass coverage. Smith's length and wingspan should give him an edge in coverage as he defends against tight ends and bigger pass-catchers. It should also pay major dividends while defending in red-zone situations, too. This is one area of his game that'll need some work as he prepares to face pass-happy offenses in the Big-12.

Lastly, Smith will benefit from a college weight program as he adds more strength to his game and more power to battle elite offensive tackles at the next level. As it stands now, he's a natural defensive playmaker due to his explosiveness, his raw power and relentless motor in pursuit. There's still plenty of room for improvement as far as pass-rush technique and coverage skills go.