Aside from his teammates, coaches and fans at the University of Alabama, no one seems to deliver DeVonta Smith his due respect. He is arguably one of the best wide receivers in college football and remains vastly underrated by the national media.
To see him not get selected as a finalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award says one thing: Bama fatigue is real and it’s showing.
According to the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation, Ja’Marr Chase (LSU), CeeDee Lamb (OU) and Michael Pittman Jr. (USC) were selected as the three finalists.
Nothing wrong with these three; however, Smith is just as good if not better than all of them.
He has two 200-yard games, much like Chase, including a matchup versus the Tigers as he posted 213 yards on Chase’s team.
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Lamb has yet to record a 200-yard outing and Pittman has only one.
When it comes to yards per catch (18.7), yards per game (101.8) and touchdowns (13), Smith beats out at least one of the three finalists.
Even with Chase and Pittman carrying more receptions and yards, both guys are the primary targets on their respective teams.
The 6-foot-1, 175-pounder has to share the ball with three other talented weapons for the Crimson Tide, not to mention a running back too. Alabama has five players with 20-plus receptions and Smith has 60 catches for a team-high 1,120 yards receiving in 10 games.
He has burned teams with precise route running, secure hands and exceptional agility, while also being one of the most underrated blockers in the game. NFL Draft analysts have even started to consider him as a first-round value, yet does not seem good enough for the Biletnikoff.
Listed below is a breakdown of how Smith ranks amongst the finalists.
Receptions
Michael Pittman Jr. – 95
Ja’Marr Chase – 63
DeVonta Smith – 60
CeeDee Lamb – 46
Receiving yards
Ja’Marr Chase – 1,260
Michael Pittman Jr. — 1,222
DeVonta Smith – 1,120
CeeDee Lamb – 999
Touchdowns
Ja’Marr Chase – 15
CeeDee Lamb – 14
DeVonta Smith – 13
Michael Pittman, Jr. – 11
Yards After Catch (YAC)
CeeDee Lamb – 21.7
Ja’Marr Chase – 20.0
DeVonta Smith – 18.7
Michael Pittman Jr. — 12.9
Yards Per Game
Ja’Marr Chase – 126
DeVonta Smith – 101.8
Micahel Pittman Jr. — 101.8
CeeDee Lamb – 99.9
Judging from the breakdown above, Smith is just as good as the other three and should have been named a finalist – seeing how he does not finish at the bottom in any of these categories.
It is a complete shame to see him not listed and highway robbery is just the tip of the iceberg, but he will take the aggression out on Auburn. The Tigers are a tough out on defense; however, its secondary has been susceptible at times this season.
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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.
