Tykee Smith on Georgia's success: 'The dynasty ain't going nowhere'

Tykee Smith is moving on from Georgia but he still backs the Bulldogs. At the NFL Scouting Combine, Smith was asked about the future of the program. He didn’t hesitate to correct any doubters.

“Everybody’s going into the program so no matter who’s going, who’s leaving, who’s declaring for the draft, they’re still going to do what they do,” Smith said. “Coach Smart is still gonna put them in the best position for everybody to be successful. The dynasty ain’t going nowhere.”

Georgia will look a lot different next season. The Bulldogs had 11 players at the NFL Scouting Combine last week, including standouts such as Brock Bowers and Ladd McConkey. Georgia’s NFL bound players are only a fraction of the team’s losses.

The Bulldogs have also lost 22 players in the transfer portal while only adding seven. Georgia’s outbound transfers aren’t slouches, either. The team lost two former five-star prospects. Nonetheless, success stories like Smith’s will always draw attention to Athens.

Smith transferred to Georgia after spending his first two collegiate seasons at West Virginia. In the 2023 campaign, the 5-foot-10 defensive back led the team in tackles (70), solo stops (46), tackles for loss (8.5) and interceptions (4).

For his efforts, he was named a Second-Team All-American by CBS Sports and was a Coaches All-SEC Second Team selection. Smith didn’t stop giving Georgia national attention after the season ended.

At the NFL Scouting Combine, Smith ran a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, just ahead of teammate Javon Bullard in the event. Before exploding at the combine, Tykee Smith dropped jaws at the Reese’s Senior Bowl, where he was named American Team MVP.

Last month, ESPN’s Matt Miller discussed Georgia’s outstanding ability to produce defensive back talent.

“As far as the defensive backs, they’re hard to evaluate because they’re so well coached,” Miller said. “I feel like this used to be a thing at Alabama as well. When you watch a Kirby Smart defensive back, you know they’re coached up well. I don’t want to say ‘maxed out’ but they’ve been coached so well for 3,4,5 years, you kind of wonder how much better can they get?”

“I saw that at the Senior Bowl especially with Bullard,” he continued. “That’s the first day of practices and he’s already the leader of the secondary. He’s getting guys lined up right, he’s communicating with the coaches like he’s been with them for two years instead of one day.”