Developed Darris Smith believes he can be 'one of best pass rushers' on team
Georgia freshman Darris Smith had an interesting first season on campus. The Appling County (Baxley, Ga.) native was recruited to UGA as an outside linebacker. He was far from polished but the potential was evident. That’s why he finished as the No. 81 overall player for the Class of 2022 according to On3.
“It’s been a full learning experience,” Smith told DawgsHQ ahead of Georgia’s National Championship Game. “I had to learn to like play on my two feet and not with my hand in the ground because that’s what I did in high school. So transitioning into college, I had to play more drop into zone, rushing off the edge, more blitzing schemes and stuff. It was a pretty cool experience this year.”
As Smith said, 2022 was a learning experience for him, and in the process, the did a little bit of everything. Of course there were reps received as an edge rusher and outside linebacker, but Smith also spent some time with the defensive backs practicing at STAR. It’s not necessarily the position where he’ll play in the future but adding the ability to cover is a skill Smith was more than willing to develop.
“With my speed and my athletic ability Coach Smart wanted me to play more at the STAR. He said Leonard Floyd and all the other athletic guys like Adam Anderson have done it so he wanted me to do it. It was pretty cool.”
Coming in at 6-foot-5, 225 pounds with incredibly long arms, fluid movement skills and body control, Smith draws comparisons to some of the former Georgia players he mentioned. Despite playing the majority of his snaps on special teams in his first season, Smith thinks he can bring to the table several of the same things that they did, starting as early as year two.
“I think I will probably be one of the best pass rushers,” Smith said. “I’m very quick in passes and zone dropping … I can use my feet more, my speed and my length … Aggression, he (Nolan Smith) always is telling me to stay low and use my aggression. I can use that.”
Headed into a second season, Smith has high hopes. He returns to an outside linebacker room that will watch Nolan Smith – who he said served as a mentor for him during his first year on campus and plans to take the No. 4 from next season – and Robert Beal suit up for NFL squads next fall and had depth concerns this past season. While Chaz Chambliss returns, Marvin Jones Jr. will miss spring practice. Sure there’s Jalon Walker and a trio of freshmen earlier enrollees, but the opportunity is there for second-year Smith.
