Arian Smith spoke about his leadership role in the team
Arian Smith spoke about his leadership role in the team
The University of Georgia
Arian Smith joined the Georgia football team as part of a 2020 recruiting class that included players who now play in the NFL, including Kelee Ringo, Jalen Carter, Broderick Jones and Darnell Washington.
He has been there so long that some of his former teammates have left the company and returned as research assistants: Warren Ericson and Prather Hudson.
This did not dampen the redshirt senior wide receiver’s enthusiasm as he reported for another training camp this preseason.
“It definitely blew my mind,” Smith said. “I was like, ‘Woo, this is year five.’ I’m excited no matter what year it is. I love this sport. If I could, I would do it 100 times.”
Smith, from Bradley, Florida, was himself a top-60 recruit, a four-star player in the country’s top-ranked recruiting class.
He showed he can make big plays at Georgia, but struggled with injuries (ankle, leg, wrist, toe, knee, shin) and inconsistency, leaving him wanting more.
“I’m still hungry,” Smith said. “I feel like I haven’t played as much over the years because of injuries and things like that.”
Smith played every game last season and set a career high with eight catches for 153 yards and two touchdowns. He caught the longest offensive play for Georgia in the SEC championship game against Alabama, a 51-yard pass.
This preseason, he has worked with Dominic Lovett and Dillon Bell as the starting receivers in a group that added transfer wide receivers Colbie Young, London Humphreys and Michael Jackson III but lost one of its top players, Rara Thomas, after he was released following a domestic violence incident.
“I’m excited about this group because we have a good group of protectors around them, a good quarterback to pass them the ball and a good group of tight ends,” coach Kirby Smart said.
The 6-foot-0, 185-pound Smith ran track for Georgia in 2021, finishing second in the NCAA outdoor 4×100-meter relay on a team that included Matthew Boling.
His teammates rave about his speed.
“He’s fast,” said cornerback Daylen Everette with a smile. “He’s incredibly fast. … Speed is deadly and you can see it.”
“There aren’t many guys with his speed,” offensive tackle Warren McClendon said during the 2022 season.
Smith has 20 career catches for 539 yards, six of which resulted in touchdowns, including a 76-yard touchdown against Ohio State in the Peach Bowl playoff semifinal victory in the 2022 season.
As a Bulldog, he averages 27 yards per catch.
“I guarantee you the defense knows when No. 11 is on the field because he’s fast and can not only make an explosive 20-yard run, but he’s a guy on your team that can make an explosive 70-yard run at any time,” offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. “And as far as Arians goes, we just try to be consistent every day.”
Smith has the chance to become more consistent by being available for training and games.
He enthusiastically takes over the leadership of the receiver group and is one of the few players left from the 2020 team, along with Carson Beck, Dan Jackson, Xavier Truss and Tate Ratledge.
Smart said coaches have spent more time developing Smith.
“He’s definitely a key special teams player for us and that was a big role for him,” Bobo said. “But a lot of times he’s replicated so many things on special teams that I can have him there during those special teams phases and really work on techniques for running certain routes. We’re not running full speed the whole time, but we’re talking about routes and body control, working on the deep ball, setting up with our eyes for the deep ball, not necessarily running a full speed post or a full speed go.”
Smith made his share of big plays, but also botched some big plays last season. His three drops, a drop percentage of 27.3 according to Pro Football Focus, were the highest among Georgia wide receivers.
Smart won’t let that, or the fact that he was on the sidelines earlier in his career, diminish Smith’s value to the team.
“I think Arians has played to his potential,” Smart said. “I mean, he’s a guy that every time we’ve needed him to make big plays, he’s made a lot of big plays. I don’t think it’s a lot to do with his health, he can control that. Some things you can control, some things you can’t. Most of his injuries have been circumstantial or collision-related, so I’m very happy with where he’s at. I’m excited about the leadership he showed in that room in the spring and summer, and even now he’s a lot more confident. … I’m excited to see what he can do with that.”
