Ainias Smith breaks down top SEC defenders he has faced in his career

For years the SEC has produced a slew of NFL talent, more than any other conference across all of college football. And at the defensive back position specifically, the Southeastern Conference has never had a problem being stacked, with 14 SEC defensive backs alone being selected in the most recent NFL Draft.

Texas A&M wide receiver Ainias Smith has faced his fair share of the conference’s best players in the secondary, as he enters his fifth season playing in the SEC for the Aggies. And at SEC Media Days, Smith was asked who some of his stiffest competition has been in the conference over the years.

“Great question,” Smith said. “One I’d probably have to say Patrick Surtain being up there as one. He was one of those guys that’s very patient, very hard to get around. He definitely plays his technique very well.”

Surtain was an absolute standout during his time playing cornerback at Alabama, appearing in every single game possible of his career including 38 consecutive starts. He was a unanimous first-team All-American for the Crimson Tide and earned SEC Defensive Player of the Year in his final season in Tuscaloosa.

He’s done nothing but continued to build on what he started at Alabama, selected with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos and recently tabbed as the best cornerback in the entire NFL according to league executives, coaches, and scouts.

“Another guy I’d have to say is Jaycee Horn out of South Carolina, he was very tough,” Smith said. “It’s a few guys that I can name, but those are the two off my head.”

Like Surtain, Horn is another big-bodied SEC corner that was a top 10 NFL Draft pick, selected with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2021 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers. And at South Carolina, he tallied up 101 career tackles, 23 pass breakups, and two interceptions for the Gamecocks.

Horn has dealt with some injuries at the NFL level in his first two seasons as a pro, but has still impressed when on the field, breaking up eight passes and snagging four interceptions in his 16 games played for the Panthers.

Smith himself caught the injury bug last season for Texas A&M, only appearing in four games before being sidelined for the remainder of the year with an injury.

He’s been a versatile weapon for the Aggies since 2019 catching 127 passes for 1,612 yards, rushing for 384 yards on 67 carries, racking up 808 return yards, and scoring a total of 22 touchdowns in his career. And he’ll be looking to get open against the SEC’s best defensive backs yet again and end his Aggie career on a high note this season in his final year with the program.