Illinois DE DJ Smoot getting some offseason hype, but I'm not sure I'm buying it. I don't think he was even the best D-lineman on his team last year.

I've just started watching his stuff, and I caught a few of his games. Here's the entire game last year against Penn State.



He had this one amazing play where he ran by the left tackle & pushed the RB into Hackenberg for the sack:



But other than that play and another pressure or 2, he didn't really seem like he was anything that special. And that was an OL who gave up 10 sacks no long before that game; some called it the worst OL in all of Division 1 football.

On the other hand, he was just a sophomore when that game was being played. And he had a good sophomore season. He's 6'3 265, so he's a full-grown dude who wouldn't have to get any bigger. Seems like he has some great upside, but I'm not sure I'd put him up there w/ Garrett, Harris, Lawson & the dude from Tennessee. At least not yet. He'll be an interesting one to watch this year now that Jihad is a Raider.