Devon Smith got first Power Five offer from Kansas

Kansas was the first Power Five offer for Devon Smith and the coaches hope that will help down the road.

Smith, a 6-foot-5, 275 defensive tackle from Biloxi (MS), picked up an offer from the Jayhawks in April. Kansas defensive line coach Kwahn Drake has been handling most of the recruiting for Smith.

“Coach Drake is really cool,” Smith said. “He gave me my first Power Five offer, which was amazing. It started off my recruiting. Coach Drake is a really, good guy and is very outgoing. I like that about a coach.”

Like every recruit around the country Smith hasn’t been able to take college visits but has relied on technology to talk with coaches. That’s one way he has been staying in touch with Drake.

“We FaceTime every week and more,” he said. “Coach Drake wants to help me do a virtual visit of Kansas while we're out with the Coronavirus and he wants me to come up there to Kansas to come visit.”

Smith earned the nickname Diesel and that’s his nickname on the football field.

“My strength and conditioning coach gave it to me,” he said. “I got it because I wreak havoc on the field, and they started calling me that because I am big and explosive.”

When Drake started building a relationship with Smith, he was surprised the all-region selection at defensive line didn’t have more offers.

“Coach Drake was shocked,” Smith said. “He thought I would have offers from big time schools such as Alabama, Clemson, because I was so big and I was so explosive and I can manhandle everybody and I was pretty quick for my size.”

Smith said he is staying shape with beach workouts and other ways until his weight room opens back up.

When recruiting visits resume, he wants to see several campuses and keep an open mind.

“I'm going to keep my recruiting open,” he said. “I don't want to lock down my recruiting just yet because I haven't been to all the schools I want to see. Kansas is one of the schools I want to take a visit to.”