Rich Rodriguez finds potential breakout star in freshman DB Vincent Smith

There has been a lot of buzz around the incoming freshman class for the West Virginia Mountaineers. The program signedone of the top high school recruiting classes in the countrythis past year, cracking multiple national Top 25 recruiting class rankings.

And a lot of the buzz regarding the class had to do with a trio of four-star athletes that flipped to West Virginia later in the process: offensive lineman Kevin Brown, safety Matt Sieg, and running back Amari Latimer, with all three expected to make an immediate impact this fall. But there was one other four-star talent in the class whose flying a bit under the radar: defensive back Vincent Smith.

Rod West pinpoints Vincent Smith as future WVU football standout

With all the hype around players like Brown, Latimer, and Sieg, it can be hard to keep track of all the freshmen who come through the program. But according to cornerbacks coach Rod West, we can expect to see Vincentcontributing this fall as well.

"We're going to be excited to see how the season goes for him," West said. "I know he's probably going to contribute on special teams early, and hopefully at some point throughout the season he can be contributing on defense as well."

But it's not easy for freshmen to find their way onto the field in their first year of college football, so what exactly is Smith doing that has caught the eye of the coaching staff so far? Well, his 6-foot-1, 215 pound frame packs impressive size for a player of his position and age group, and he also has exceptional athleticism to match it.

West revealed that when recruiting Smith, the rising defensive back posted a 4.42 40-yard dash at a national camp, but the cards they handed out with each player's measurements had a typo on Smith's – listing him at 202 pounds, not the 222 pounds he weighed at the time. West and the staff did their best to keep that under wraps to avoid competition in landing his services.

""I know he's probably going to contribute on special teams early, and hopefully at some point throughout the season he can be contributing on defense as well.""

WVU CBs coach Rod West on Vincent Smith

"I'm sure y'all notice his size as well – he's about 215 (pounds) right now, extremely athletic and fast," West said. "He's going to be a great player, and I think he can be one of those guys too in time that can serve in a multitude of roles for us."

He also noted the unqiue background hat Smith comes from – his uncle is a producer with Tyler Perry Studios and his mother is often travelling globally, so Smith ended up on his own at home for much of his final two years of high school. And he managed to keep his academics on track during that time while also working full-time and maintaining his training.

"Vincent, basically the last couple years of high school, he's been pretty much at home by himself doing a lot," West said. "Very mature. Every day in the recruiting process, he was so unusual for most 17 year-old kids. He'd go to school, he'd have a job, and he'd drive an hour away to do DB training every day...Vincent was always a hard worker."

And that experience during his recruiting process was enough to convince West and the WVU coaching staff that Smith was the type of athlete who would have an easier time transitioning to the college lifestyle than other high school kids, and that he would continue to take his development as an athlete seriously. So far, Smith have proven them correct.

"I think it shows maturity. I think it shows time management," West said. "I think it shows a kid is going to be a hard worker. I think it shows that once he gets to college, his acclimation is going to be a bit smoother than some other kids because he's used to having to juggle different things that most kids may not have to do that."

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