Georgia football DB returning for another season

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tykee Smith joins Christopher Smith as key secondary players to return for another season.

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tykee Smith is returning for another season. Smith suffered a torn ACL in October and and was forced to miss  the rest of the 2021 college football season. Smith additionally battled a foot injury to start the season.

Smith transferred to the University of Georgia from West Virginia this offseason. He was just getting healthy before he tore his ACL in practice.

Former West Virginia Mountaineers safety Tykee Smith will be an important player for Georgia in 2022. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Smith, a junior, recorded three tackles against Auburn and will be able to redshirt this year. Smith is putting his NFL aspirations on hold. With a healthy 2022 season Smith will boost his NFL draft stock.

Smith entered the season ranked one of the top safeties in the country. He transferred to UGA partially to be reunited with Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, who was his former position coach at West Virginia.

Tykee Smith will counted on to start at safety or nickel for the Bulldogs in 2022 alongside Christopher Smith. Tykee Smith, Dan Jackson, David Daniel, Javon Bullard, and Kamari Lassiter are some of Georgia’s key returning players in the secondary. The Dawgs lost a few key pieces in the secondary to the transfer portal.

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Key Georgia football DB tears ACL

Key Georgia football DB Tykee Smith tears ACL and will be out for the remainder of the season.

The Georgia Bulldogs will be without defensive back Tykee Smith for the rest of the 2021 college football season. Smith transferred to the University of Georgia from West Virginia this offseason.

Tykee Smith has battled a foot injury to start the season. He was just getting healthy and then tore his ACL. Smith, a junior, recorded three tackles against Auburn and will be able to redshirt this year. Smith’s NFL aspirations may have to wait another season following his injury.

Smith entered the season ranked one of the top safeties in the country. He transferred to UGA partially to be reunited with Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, his former position coach at West Virginia.

Smith was counted on to start at safety or nickel for the Bulldogs in 2021 alongside Christopher Smith and Lewis Cine. Christopher Smith suffered a separated shoulder last week against Auburn.

Dan Jackson, David Daniel, William Poole, Javon Bullard, Kamari Lassiter, and Lovasea Carrol are among the players Kirby Smart will turn to in the absence of Tykee Smith and Christopher Smith.

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Tykee Smith had the difficult task of guarding explosive passing attack in the Big 12 last season, but he helped the Mountaineers have the top passing defense in the country.

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Georgia football player card: DB Tykee Smith

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tykee Smith is considered one of the top safeties in the country

Tykee Smith, Defensive Back (No. 23):

Class: Junior

Height: 5-10

Weight: 200 pounds

Hometown: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

High School: Imhotep Institute

Georgia Bulldogs defensive back Tykee Smith transferred to the University of Georgia from West Virginia this offseason. Smith is considered one of the top safeties in the country. He is reunited with Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae, his former position coach at West Virginia.

Smith will be counted on to start at safety or nickel for the Bulldogs in 2021 alongside Christopher Smith and Lewis Cine.

Nov. 14, 2020; Morgantown, West Virginia; West Virginia Mountaineers safety Tykee Smith (23) breaks up a pass intended for TCU Horned Frogs running back Zach Evans (6) during the first quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Tykee Smith had the difficult task of guarding explosive passing attack in the Big 12 last season, but he helped the Mountaineers have the top passing defense in the country.

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PFF ranks Georgia’s Tykee Smith as CFB’s No. 1 safety for 2021

PFF ranked Georgia football’s Tykee Smith as the top returning safety in college football for the 2021 season.

As we creep closer to the 2021 college football season, PFF ranked the top-10 returning safeties in the nation.

Georgia’s Tykee Smith, who transferred to UGA this offseason from West Virginia, checked in at No. 1 overall.

Smith, a three-star recruit of the 2019 class, has recorded the third-best slot coverage grade in the FBS over his true freshman and sophomore seasons while serving as the “spear” in West Virginia’s defense.

Smith’s 2020 campaign was a sight to behold. He was targeted 38 times in coverage across 10 games and allowed just 110 yards for the season. He did not give up a single explosive pass play of 15 or more yards while making five plays on the ball and forcing 10 passing stops.

The former WVU star is reuniting with defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae in Athens. The pair helped West Virginia have the nation’s top pass defense in 2020.

As a Mountaineer last season, Smith (5’11, 198) was a finalist for the 2020 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. He was the 2nd highest graded defensive back in the country (85.3), according to PFF.

The junior racked up 61 tackles, 2 interceptions, and added 5 passes defended while helping West Virginia’s defense to the No. 1 passing defense in the country in 2020 (159.6 ypg), in a pass-heavy Big 12 conference nonetheless.

Twitter reacts: Tykee Smith transfers to Georgia

The Georgia Bulldogs have added former West Virginia defensive back Tykee Smith via the NCAA transfer portal.

The Georgia Bulldogs have added former West Virginia defensive back Tykee Smith via the NCAA transfer portal. Smith is a versatile defensive back, who plays safety and slot corner.

Tykee Smith will be immediately eligible and have multiple years of eligibility left. Smith has four career interceptions and was named PFF’s No. 5 returning defensive back in college football.

The former West Virginia star is reuniting with his old defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae in Athens. The pair helped West Virginia have the nation’s top pass defense in 2020.

Georgia football social media was very excited to add a talent transfer at a position of need:

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Watch: West Virginia transfer DB Tykee Smith’s highlight tape

Check out new Georgia football safety Tykee Smith’s highlight tape here.

Coach Kirby Smart and Georgia football staff added West Virginia transfer safety Tykee Smith to the roster from the transfer portal on Sunday.

Not a big surprise here after UGA hired former West Virginia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae in January to the same position in Athens.

As a Mountaineer last season, Smith (5’11, 198) was a finalist for the 2020 Jim Thorpe Award, given to the nation’s top defensive back. He was the 2nd highest graded defensive back in the country (85.3), according to Pro Football Focus.

The junior racked up 61 tackles, 2 interceptions and added 5 passes defended, while helping West Virginia’s defense to the No. 1 passing defense in the country in 2020 (159.6 ypg), in a pass-heavy Big 12 conference nonetheless.

Here’s Smith’s sophomore highlight tape:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2qAN-8Vh58

Looks like the Dawgs just got another baller in the secondary.

 

 


A new episode of “UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton” podcast is streaming now! This week, J.C. talks Georgia spring practice news, new scheduling additions and Dawgs in the NFL free agency updates. Listen here:

UGA football adds West Virginia transfer Tykee Smith

The Georgia Bulldogs have landed a major college football transfer in West Virginia safety Tykee Smith

The Georgia Bulldogs have landed a major college football transfer in West Virginia safety Tykee Smith. New Georgia defensive backs coach Jahmile Addae helped Georgia secure a commitment from the talented safety, who will be immediately eligible to play.

Jahmile Addae served as the defensive backs coach at West Virginia for two seasons before leaving for Athens, Georgia. Smith and Addae have a good relationship from their previous time together.

Kirby Smart knew the secondary would be a weakness for Georgia, so he addressed the need with one of the top players in the NCAA transfer portal.

The former West Virginia star, who is 5-foot-11 and weighs 190 pounds, is expected to compete for a starting safety position. His transfer gives Georgia more depth in the secondary and allows Lewis Cine to potentially play more from the slot.

Don’t be surprised if Georgia plays more with three safeties at one time next season. Christopher Smith, Lewis Cine, and Tykee Smith are all Georgia’s most experienced defensive backs.

Jahmile Addae and Tykee Smith helped West Virginia have the No. 1 passing defense last season (159.6 yards allowed per game) despite playing in the pass-heavy Big 12. Georgia had only the No. 88 ranked pass defense in the country last season (248.7 yards allowed per game).

Georgia’s passing defense was surprisingly poor in 2020 despite having an abundance of talent in the secondary. The Dawgs are losing Eric Stokes, Richard LeCounte, Tyson Campbell,  Mark Webb, and DJ Daniel to the 2021 NFL draft. Additionally, Georgia lost Tyrique Stevenson, who transferred to Miami.

Tykee Smith announced his decision to transfer to Georgia via his Twitter account:

Nov 14, 2020; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers safety Tykee Smith (23) intercepts a pass from TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Max Duggan (15) and runs for extra yards during the fourth quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

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