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Arian Smith says his most common nicknames throughout his career have been "Smitty" and "A-Smitty." That's understandable, given his name.
But the other one, that especially took shape at Georgia, was "Speedy." And you don't have to look at Smith's tape for long to see why he has earned that title.
Smith was among the most consistently fast wide receivers in college football during the 2024 season, which stands out as perhaps his most impressive trait ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. He caught even more attention for that trait when he clocked a 4.36-second 40 time at the NFL Combine.
Smith feels like he's shown the bigger picture of what he can do through offseason events like the Reese's Senior Bowl, the Combine and pro day, though.
He says he thinks scouts can now see that he's more than a "one-trick pony."
"I think that I have shown that I'm an all-around receiver and that I'm not just a one-trick pony," Smith told me in March. "When it comes to showing my speed, I've always been good about that but I can also move laterally and do a lot of different things on the field."
Specifically in regard to his speed, Smith has been heralded for just how quick he is from the get go. But he believes he practices a lot more control than people may realize from the outside looking in.
"As I get going, I get faster. People will say I'm fast off the jump, which I am, but I feel like I only get faster as I'm running," Smith said. "I'm very good at controlling my speed. I'm able to slow it down in tempo and cut it on super quick when I need to."
Smith had a number of tasks assigned to him on the field at Georgia outside of frequently outracing defenders, too.
"I feel like I handled my responsibilities at Georgia well, whether it was me serving as a role player, special teams, or taking off the top and clearing up somebody else. I feel like I, as a No. 1 receiver, can make an offense very explosive."
It is no secret that Georgia consistently produces some of the top NFL-ready prospects in the nation, and Smith believes having played in that system gives him an edge as he prepares to make the leap.
"The Georgia offense translates very well to the NFL. We have a lot of the same terminology and the same concepts where there is screen game, there is quick game and stuff like that," Smith explained. "A lot of steps we run that are in the NFL, where there's fifth inside of seven outside, the same stuff."
Talking to Smith, one can instantly tell that he's done his fair share of film study. He's his own unique player, but has taken several "nuggets" away from receivers at the NFL level in which he wants to embody some of their game.
Legendary wideout DeSean Jackson is who Smith says he admires the most, and that he also tries to apply the way he's seen Jerry Rice come out of his breaks to his own game.
"One of my favorite players to watch catch the deep ball is DeSean Jackson," Smith said. "I like how he strides in his routes and how he's able to tempo and stick off one leg and come out of the route flat or high and control his speed. He is a fast guy who has to do that at the NFL level. You can't just run at full speed off the line and get your head knocked off."
Another thing that is well-known about the Bulldogs is their tough coaching staff, and every player on the team will tell you that head coach Kirby Smart holds them to a high standard and takes no issue showing his "tough love" approach.
Smith says everything he achieved at Georgia on the field, academically and as a person was all hard-earned. He believes he's better in every aspect, and it has helped shaped his strong mentality.
"I feel like outside of my speed, I bring someone who is very tough both physically and mentally," Smith said. "Whether there's good or bad happening in practice, in games, or in any situation in life, I don't really get shaken that much. I can stay very level-headed and maintain a great deal of composure."
It will be interesting to see where Smith is ultimately selected later in April, now largely projected to be an early to mid-round pick after his draft stock skyrocketed during the offseason.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: 'More Than a One-Trick Pony': Georgia's Arian Smith talks NFL Draft
Continue reading...
But the other one, that especially took shape at Georgia, was "Speedy." And you don't have to look at Smith's tape for long to see why he has earned that title.
Smith was among the most consistently fast wide receivers in college football during the 2024 season, which stands out as perhaps his most impressive trait ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft. He caught even more attention for that trait when he clocked a 4.36-second 40 time at the NFL Combine.
Smith feels like he's shown the bigger picture of what he can do through offseason events like the Reese's Senior Bowl, the Combine and pro day, though.
He says he thinks scouts can now see that he's more than a "one-trick pony."
"I think that I have shown that I'm an all-around receiver and that I'm not just a one-trick pony," Smith told me in March. "When it comes to showing my speed, I've always been good about that but I can also move laterally and do a lot of different things on the field."
Specifically in regard to his speed, Smith has been heralded for just how quick he is from the get go. But he believes he practices a lot more control than people may realize from the outside looking in.
"As I get going, I get faster. People will say I'm fast off the jump, which I am, but I feel like I only get faster as I'm running," Smith said. "I'm very good at controlling my speed. I'm able to slow it down in tempo and cut it on super quick when I need to."
Smith had a number of tasks assigned to him on the field at Georgia outside of frequently outracing defenders, too.
"I feel like I handled my responsibilities at Georgia well, whether it was me serving as a role player, special teams, or taking off the top and clearing up somebody else. I feel like I, as a No. 1 receiver, can make an offense very explosive."
It is no secret that Georgia consistently produces some of the top NFL-ready prospects in the nation, and Smith believes having played in that system gives him an edge as he prepares to make the leap.
"The Georgia offense translates very well to the NFL. We have a lot of the same terminology and the same concepts where there is screen game, there is quick game and stuff like that," Smith explained. "A lot of steps we run that are in the NFL, where there's fifth inside of seven outside, the same stuff."
Talking to Smith, one can instantly tell that he's done his fair share of film study. He's his own unique player, but has taken several "nuggets" away from receivers at the NFL level in which he wants to embody some of their game.
Legendary wideout DeSean Jackson is who Smith says he admires the most, and that he also tries to apply the way he's seen Jerry Rice come out of his breaks to his own game.
"One of my favorite players to watch catch the deep ball is DeSean Jackson," Smith said. "I like how he strides in his routes and how he's able to tempo and stick off one leg and come out of the route flat or high and control his speed. He is a fast guy who has to do that at the NFL level. You can't just run at full speed off the line and get your head knocked off."
Another thing that is well-known about the Bulldogs is their tough coaching staff, and every player on the team will tell you that head coach Kirby Smart holds them to a high standard and takes no issue showing his "tough love" approach.
Smith says everything he achieved at Georgia on the field, academically and as a person was all hard-earned. He believes he's better in every aspect, and it has helped shaped his strong mentality.
"I feel like outside of my speed, I bring someone who is very tough both physically and mentally," Smith said. "Whether there's good or bad happening in practice, in games, or in any situation in life, I don't really get shaken that much. I can stay very level-headed and maintain a great deal of composure."
It will be interesting to see where Smith is ultimately selected later in April, now largely projected to be an early to mid-round pick after his draft stock skyrocketed during the offseason.
This article originally appeared on Draft Wire: 'More Than a One-Trick Pony': Georgia's Arian Smith talks NFL Draft
Continue reading...
