Georgia safety Tykee Smith is ranked as the No. 8 safety for the 2023 NFL draft by Pro Football Focus.
Smith, a West Virginia transfer, missed most of the 2021 season with a foot injury and a torn ACL.
Be patient….be tough.. One day this pain you feeling will be useful to you!!🙏🏾#Thecomeback#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/xArwsmDCkH
— Tykee Smith (@TykSmith) June 30, 2022
“It’s crazy how many potential top prospects in 2023 didn’t actually even see the field for Georgia last season. After transferring from West Virginia, Smith was supposed to be the Bulldogs’ starting slot cornerback in 2021. He started the season sidelined with a foot injury, then tore his ACL only seven snaps into his first game back against Auburn.
Smith is one of the most instinctive prospects on this list and plays the game with no fear despite his size (5-foot-10, 198 pounds). In his last full season at West Virginia, he earned an 89.7 coverage grade and allowed only 110 yards across 25 catches and 38 targets.”
Smith spent two seasons at West Virginia where he was named Freshman All-American in 2019 and a second-team All-American in 2020.
The Philadelphia native appeared in 12 games as a freshman racking up 51 total tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss with one sack, four pass breakups, forced fumble and two interceptions.
As a sophomore in 2020, Smith played in all 10 games with 61 stops, eight stops for loss, and broke up five passes with two interceptions.
Smith is expected to be 100% in 2023 and will compete for Georgia’s STAR position.