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Skinny: Extremely gifted athlete that has sprinters speed with great height and explosiveness.  Shoots from right out of a cannon, firing out of his stance.  Best w/ his hand in the dirt and still raw as a player with stiff hips. Might be a rough transition if he’s in a 3-4 defense and they ask him to do too much. Hoping he goes to a 4-3 as a base end who can keep it simple, pin his ears back and rush the passer.  Redshirt Sophomore w/ upside to be a double digit sack guy at the DE.

2010: The Big XII Freshman of the Year as voted by the conference’s coaches was also a Second Team All-Big XII selection by the Associated Press in what was one of the best rookie seasons in 2009, regardless of position. One of the top prospects coming out of the state of Missouri, Smith exceeded the hype as a red-shirt freshman by setting a Missouri single-season record with 11.5 sacks, good enough for third in the conference. He was electric coming off the edge, using his explosive first step, agility, and long arms to beat offensive linemen and penetrate the line of scrimmage. In addition to his top-notch athleticism Smith plays with a high motor; he’s relentless when getting after the quarterback and when he smells a sack he has the closing speed to get all the way to the quarterback. If he continues to develop physically, improve his bull rush, add a variety of moves, and work on his hand technique the Missouri product could be downright unblockable as a pass rusher. Smith also proved to be productive as a run stopper, making an impressive 64 tackles as a freshman including 7.5 for a loss against the run, which is why his rookie campaign was so special. The Tiger is blessed with great length at 6’5”, prototypical for a defensive end. However, at 255 pounds he will need to add some bulk if he is to fit the mold of an NFL trench man, although some believe he may be athletic enough to make the move to outside linebacker in a three-four scheme where he could be a force coming off the edge. Smith will be draft eligible following the 2009 season and while he figures to return for the 2011 season at the very least, depending on how quickly he progresses in all aspects of his game the Missouri native could be temped by the NFL riches. - Scouting Defensive Ends: Class of 2013

NEWS

09/21/10 - Missouri sophomore DE Aldon Smith, a potential top prospect for the 2012 draft after he rang up 11.5 sacks as a true freshman last fall, is out for at least several week with a broken fibula.