Arian Smith no longer 'under the rug' in Georgia offense

Arian Smith wasn’t on the field for most of Georgia’s National Championship run last season. He wasn’t available for a large portion of the season before and he started the 2022 season on the shelf. Various injuries are to blame but the Bulldogs sure are glad that he was healthy and ready to roll for the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl win over Ohio State.

The redshirt sophomore with world-class speed changed the game. His 47-yard catch in the second quarter jumpstarted the Bulldog offense when it trailed 21-7. The Bulldogs punched it in one play later and kicked off a 17-0 run that got them a three-point lead.

Smith’s 76-yard touchdown will be remembered for a long, long time. That came in the fourth quarter with Georgia trailing by 11 points. The touchdown plus a successful two-point conversion cut the deficit to three.

None of that happens if Smith had decided that enough was enough on the injury front. Multiple knee surgeries, an ankle procedure, and a broken leg over the course of two calendar years couldn’t slow the speedster down.

“I definitely feel like, just because I’ve been hurt, I’ve been under the rug,” Smith said after the game. “All I can do is be resilient, fight back and do what I can.”

Smith has been healthy since early in the season. Outside of one a big one against Tennessee in November, he hasn’t really had an impact on the offense. Bulldog fans have been wondering why he hasn’t done more but Smith knows why.

“The reps,” Smith said, referencing all the practice time missed over his three years in Athens. “They’re everything.”

Smith is next-level fast

It might be tough for most people to wrap their head around just how fast Smith is. It’s not wild to suggest he’s the fastest man in College Football. He has turned in a 100-meter time of 10.1 seconds and qualified for the NCAA Outdoor 100-meter finals.

“Dude can do things that people can’t do,” Stetson Bennett said afterward. “He can run like people can’t run, and he can go get the ball, and I was just — once I saw him, I think the whole sideline was standing up and saying he’s open. So I just tried to put it on him and let him do the rest.

Bennett is referencing the 76-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and while the defender fell down, Smith had to take a little credit for how open he was. Smith’s stick move to the inside got Lathan Ransom off balance and even if he doesn’t stumble to the turf, the Bulldog wideout is multiple steps behind the defense.

Smith still has unfinished business

Saturday was Smith’s first appearance in the College Football Playoff. A broken leg suffered in practice kept him off the field for the 2021 postseason. All he could do was cheer on his teammates.

After the Peach Bowl, he was giddy. Smith was bouncing around, talking a mile-per-minute, and fired up about the prospects of helping his team win a second title in as many seasons. A trip to the West Coast is a big plus as well.

Georgia has been there for the former four-star prospect throughout the injury adversity. Smith, who says his myriad of injuries hasn’t affected his speed based on GPS readings and track times, is thankful for that and for being afforded the chance to compete in the ways he loves.

“It has been a blessing. I’m blessed with the opportunity to be able to do two sports,” Smith said. “I love coach Smart from the bottom of my heart for letting me do two sports and giving me trust to go out there and make plays like I did today.”

The next one is for all the marbles. Georgia and TCU will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on January 9 (ESPN). The game will take place at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.