of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the Franklin American Mortgage Music City Bowl against the LSU Tigers at LP Field on December 30, 2014 in Nashville, Tennessee.

Notre Dame QB Malik Zaire compares teammate to LeBron James

Quarterback Malik Zaire bestows some high praise on one of his teammates.

Notre Dame linebacker Jaylon Smith is one of the best defensive players in football. Smith had over 100 tackles in 2014 and ESPN's Mel Kiper projects that he could be a first round draft pick should he declare for the 2016 NFL Draft.

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But those superlatives do not compare to what Notre Dame quarterback Malik Zaire bestowed upon Smith, saying playing with the linebacker is like playing with LeBron James.

That is quite the high comparison for the junior linebacker, and while it may be a little much to compare to one of the best athletes we have ever seen, at least Smith looks the part; the Fighting Irish defensive anchor is 6-foot-2, 235 pounds with otherworldly athleticism. Smith definitely has the tools to be a heavy competitor at the next level.