What The Athletic Says…
The five-star true freshman has been as good as advertised in his debut season. Smith has racked up four sacks and five tackles for loss among his 18 tackles this season. He has moved into the starting lineup for LSU’s last two games and will have to play an even greater role now that Ali Gaye is out for the year.
He was expected to be a force on the interior for the LSU defense, but injuries to Ali Gaye and Andre Anthony have forced the staff to push him outside. Smith has responded this year with his position flexibility. On top of his four sacks and five TFLs, the freshman is fourth on the team with 14 quarterback pressures.