Yet he already has traits Nebraska and other schools covet with his 6-foot-2 frame and reputation as a downhill tackler. ESPN rates him as the No. 19 safety nationally and No. 272 recruit overall in the 2018 class. He’ll begin at that position, but could also excel as a cornerback and even play some offense if asked.
Frost said on signing day he considered Nebraska’s haul of Smith, Cam Jones (Mansfield, Texas) and juco signee Deontai Williams to be “as good a class at safety as anyone in the country.” Defensive coordinator Erik Chinander remembers Smith being one of the first phone calls the staff made once it was hired.
“I think we may have had a chance with him anywhere we were even though he had the Oklahomas and the Floridas and the Florida States,” Chinander says. “Then just (us) coming to Nebraska made it very easy for him to say yes.”
And Smith didn’t rest once he became a Husker. Other recruits began messaging him on social media asking about Frost and his coaching staff. Among them were fellow Floridians like wideout Dominick Watt (Hollywood) and running back/receiver Miles Jones (Fort Lauderdale).
“I just had to tell them how Nebraska was,” Smith says before pausing. “How it’s going to be. I have a lot of confidence in Nebraska for the upcoming season. I just told them to jump on board.”