He prides himself on being a selfless player; however, it feels good to see someone other than Pro Football Focus recognize him on a national scale. DeVonta Smith is a game-changing wide receiver and a first-round talent, and NFL scouts saw it first-hand versus Mississippi last week.
His connection with his quarterback, Tua Tagovailoa, is a special one as he turned in a career performance in receiving yards (274) and touchdowns (five) on 11 catches.
Smith’s output in yards and scores set single-game records for the University of Alabama, while his final tally in scores tied a single game mark for the Southeastern Conference.
The four-star in the 2017 class from Louisiana averaged 24.9 yards per reception and was in the zone after his first score.
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Four his five touchdowns came in both the second and third quarters of a matchup that the Crimson Tide notched a 59-31 win.
According to the Walter Camp Football Foundation, Smith was awarded Walter Camp’s Offensive Player of the Week.
This was his first national honor and he becomes the 15th Alabama receiver to be recognized since 2004.
Former standouts Christion Jones and Amari Cooper were the last pair to the receive weekly honors from Walter Camp.
After one game, Smith now leads the Tide in receiving yards (537), touchdown (eight) and yards per game (107.4.).
He also has 17 career scores, moving him into a tie with DJ Hall (2004-07) for sixth all-time in school history.
Prior to the bye week, Smith chimes in with two 100-plus yard outings and is averaging 17.3 yards per catch.
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Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
