Generally, when a small-school product gets drafted in the early rounds, it’s from a guy who has a strong and consistent body of work over a period of years. That’s not to say that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ third-round pick this year, Alex Highsmith out of Charlotte, wasn’t doing well early on. But his senior season was truly his breakout year. And it’s not a coincidence that it coincided with a new coaching staff and essentially a new position.
While Highsmith credited the new staff for helping to unlock the potential that he put on display during his senior season, Charlotte head coach Will Healy was reluctant to share in on those accolades during an interview with Missi Matthews.