Rahshaun Smith to Clemson: Tigers Land 4-Star DE Prospect

As schools increasingly adopt spread offenses and rely more and more heavily on the passing game, teams are always looking for that pass-rusher who can be a one-man wrecking crew.

Clemson may have found its man in Rahshaun Smith, who committed to the Tigers on Thursday via Spreecast on ESPN.com, per Ryan Bartow of 247Sports.

Smith is the No. 3-ranked weak-side defensive end and sits 48th overall in 247Sports' composite rankings. The prep star out of Bradenton, Florida, is also the 11th-best player in his home state.

Since he's one of the best at his position, Smith hasn't been lacking for interest from the top teams in the country. According to 247Sports, well over 20 schools, including reigning national champion Ohio State, Oklahoma, Clemson, Florida State, Florida and Penn State, have offered him a scholarship.

Clemson appeared to be among the front-runners early on to secure his commitment. He and a few other recruits visited the Tigers near the end of January, per Paul Strelow of TigerIllustrated.com:

It's not hard to see what all of the fuss is about. At 6'3" and 225 pounds, Smith has great size for a defensive end/pass-rusher. He could stand to add a little bit of muscle, but his somewhat light frame allows him to be very light on his feet.

Smith is one of those defensive ends who is so quick off of the ball that by the time the offensive tackle has a chance to react, he's already collapsing the pocket. He can be a bit reliant on his speed at times, but that shouldn't prove a major hindrance when he arrives.

Although Smith is utilized best as a pass-rusher, he's intuitive enough to take good angles on the ball-carrier and stop the run.

Vic Beasley might be a good comparison. Although he's roughly an inch shorter than Smith, Beasley is another athletic pass-rusher who fell on the thinner side. It didn't stop him from accumulating over 30 sacks in his four years at Clemson.

As long as Smith can iron out some of his more technique-based issues, he should wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks in another two or three years.

Recruit star ratings and rankings via 247Sports unless otherwise noted.