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

With defensive schemes becoming more and more intricate at the college level, a versatile player like Rahshaun Smith is a prized commodity. After an intense recruiting battle, Smith announced he's officially committed to Clemson, per ESPN Stats & Info.

According to 247Sports' composite ranking, Smith is the second-best inside linebacker in the country and the No. 74 player overall. He's also No. 13 in the state of Florida.

Originally, Smith committed to Clemson in March before backtracking and decommitting from the Tigers in August. At the time, he discussed how the decision was less about Clemson and more about making sure he covered all his bases in the recruiting process, per ESPN's Gerry Hamilton:

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You know, right now where I'm at, I definitely plan to take my officials. But before I say that, I definitely can say that I'm solid with Clemson. I'm basically 99.9 percent with them, but the thing I've been hearing around is this thing is one time, so why not live it all out and get all you can out of it? Because when you get to college, it starts over like freshman year of high school. I'm going to see all the things I can see.

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You can understand Smith's hesitation in committing to Clemson before he experienced the process in full. Plus, the Tigers managed to get their man in the end, so everything worked out.

Their coaching staff continued working hard to ensure Smith would be a Tiger, per Tyler Donohue of Bleacher Report:

While listed as an inside linebacker on 247Sports, Smith is much more than that. He could easily move over to outside linebacker or occupy one of the defensive end positions with Clemson.

In a 2012 article on ESPN.com by Dave Hooker, Smith mentioned how Bruce Irvin was one of the players who inspired him. It's a comparison that fits well considering Irvin is equally adept at rushing the passer, defending the run or dropping back in coverage.

As you'd expect of a player capable of playing so many different positions, Smith is an extremely gifted athlete. 247Sports rated him an eight out of 10 in athleticism, first step, closing speed and speed. The Rivals Camp Series also showed how he can quickly change direction:

He isn't solely reliant on his physical superiority, either. Rivals.com's Rob Cassidy provided a Vine of Smith sacking the quarterback in a game for IMG Academy, and his ability to wrap up the ball-carrier jumps out in a big way:

There's little to not like about Smith as a player. At this point in his career, he doesn't yet excel in one area, which some may see as a bit of a detriment. But defensive coordinator Brent Venables will be able to use him in a variety of different ways, which will undoubtedly provide headaches for opposing teams.

Smith is the complete package, and he should have an immediate impact for the Tigers if the coaches allow him to take a somewhat prominent role in the defense in 2016.