He might have had a great week of practice leading up to the 2017 East-West Shrine Game, but Michigan Wolverines running back De’Veon Smith left a lot to be desired. Smith was a fringe prospect heading into Saturday’s game.
Given that he played his college ball for Jim Harbaugh, this helped elevate Smith heading into the East-West Shrine Game. However, he was the most inefficient offensive player on Saturday. Smith was force-fed the rock 11 times for only 23 yards. He would also fumble on a very important drive for the East.
It wasn’t a great day for offenses, but other running backs like Elijah McGuire, Joe Williams, and Dare Ogunbowale were able to read defensive alignments for a few nice gains. The bulk of Smith’s yardage came on a 13-yard scamper.
With the game on the line, it was strange to see Smith get as many touches as he did. He didn’t make the most of them and failed to adjust as a runner. Smith will probably still get drafted, but he didn’t do anything to prove he’ll be able to last very long at the next level.