by Bill Seals
After growing up watching David Montgomery star as a prep standout in Cincinnati and then later for three seasons as a Cyclone, a Class of 2021 prospect from the same hometown has the program high on his list.
Iowa State offered Cincinnati LaSalle junior athlete Devonta Smith earlier this month, amidst a blowup in the prospect’s recruitment that has seen him collect several Power-5 offers.
“I was talking to the (recruiting) coach for about a week, building that relationship,” said Smith. “He said they love my film and look great. They offered me a scholarship and want to continue to keep building that relationship with me and my family.
“They already knew of me from the man who has been the father-figure in life after my dad had passed. He is very close with David Montgomery, as well as Coach (Jon) Heacock at Iowa State. I always used to go to David’s high school games. He was one of the best I ever watched. I know why he picked Iowa State, because it’s a great campus. He said if I commit there, it would be the best decision I could make. That stood out to me as a big thing. I love the Iowa State offer. They will forever be up in my top tier.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Smith also has P5 offers from Boston College, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. Rivals considers him a borderline four-star recruit and has assigned him a 5.7 rating.
Through his father figure and mentor, Smith said the Cyclones are in a good position in that mix of schools.
“He is always up there every summer to see the coaches, so it would be easy to take a visit to go see everything,” Smith said. “I’ll probably go before the summer, maybe during this offseason. He and Coach Heacock have a really cool relationship.
“I can see the team chemistry they have. It’s amazing. As you can see, they’re doing great right now in the Big 12. They almost beat Oklahoma, which was big. When they were down, they didn’t just quit or give up. They kept going and going.”
Smith has also caught ISU home games on TV, saying the atmosphere around Jack Trice Stadium stands out.
“I love watching how the fans are into it,” he said. “Every play. They’re not leaving at the third quarter or halftime. They’re supporting the guys. It’s a great thing for a recruit to see. I want to come out on a visit and see it for myself.”
Since he’ll likely play in the secondary at the next level, Smith has also taken notice of Heacock’s 3-3-5 system that has contained several Big 12 teams in recent seasons.
“I love their defense and we kind of run that Stack defense here at La Salle,” he said. “We try to get the best players on the field at all times. We have a strong defensive back core and linebacker core. We try to get as many on the field at all times."
After growing up watching David Montgomery star as a prep standout in Cincinnati and then later for three seasons as a Cyclone, a Class of 2021 prospect from the same hometown has the program high on his list.
Iowa State offered Cincinnati LaSalle junior athlete Devonta Smith earlier this month, amidst a blowup in the prospect’s recruitment that has seen him collect several Power-5 offers.
“I was talking to the (recruiting) coach for about a week, building that relationship,” said Smith. “He said they love my film and look great. They offered me a scholarship and want to continue to keep building that relationship with me and my family.
“They already knew of me from the man who has been the father-figure in life after my dad had passed. He is very close with David Montgomery, as well as Coach (Jon) Heacock at Iowa State. I always used to go to David’s high school games. He was one of the best I ever watched. I know why he picked Iowa State, because it’s a great campus. He said if I commit there, it would be the best decision I could make. That stood out to me as a big thing. I love the Iowa State offer. They will forever be up in my top tier.”
The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Smith also has P5 offers from Boston College, Kentucky, Louisville, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and West Virginia. Rivals considers him a borderline four-star recruit and has assigned him a 5.7 rating.
Through his father figure and mentor, Smith said the Cyclones are in a good position in that mix of schools.
“He is always up there every summer to see the coaches, so it would be easy to take a visit to go see everything,” Smith said. “I’ll probably go before the summer, maybe during this offseason. He and Coach Heacock have a really cool relationship.
“I can see the team chemistry they have. It’s amazing. As you can see, they’re doing great right now in the Big 12. They almost beat Oklahoma, which was big. When they were down, they didn’t just quit or give up. They kept going and going.”
Smith has also caught ISU home games on TV, saying the atmosphere around Jack Trice Stadium stands out.
“I love watching how the fans are into it,” he said. “Every play. They’re not leaving at the third quarter or halftime. They’re supporting the guys. It’s a great thing for a recruit to see. I want to come out on a visit and see it for myself.”
Since he’ll likely play in the secondary at the next level, Smith has also taken notice of Heacock’s 3-3-5 system that has contained several Big 12 teams in recent seasons.
“I love their defense and we kind of run that Stack defense here at La Salle,” he said. “We try to get the best players on the field at all times. We have a strong defensive back core and linebacker core. We try to get as many on the field at all times."
