Cam Smith Makes Splash In Return
Corner Cam Smith suffered an injury against Arkansas that kept him out for most of the contest. He missed the Georgia game with the injury, halting an already promising season.
Smith was one of the premier SEC defenders entering the 2022 season; he garnered fringe first-round buzz during the offseason and was named a preseason second-team All-SEC defender.
While it was clear the injury wasn't serious, several missed games can be detrimental to your draft stock. Fortunately, Smith returned against Charlotte and made several monumental plays that swung the tide of the contest.
The stat sheet reads one tackle, an interception, and a pass deflection, but his impact exceeded numbers. Smith's sheer presence forced Charlotte to alter looks presnap and change components of their gameplan.
Furthermore, it provided a comforting feeling to multiple inexperienced Gamecock defensive backs. South Carolina's secondary struggled against Georgia, primarily because they were an untested group processing things for the first time.
He's always been stout in man coverage, locking down SEC wideouts since he stepped onto the field. Smith's oily hips and impressive change of direction skills enable him to travel anywhere on the football field.
His athletic profile allows him to drive on footballs when playing flat-footed, which is precisely what he did against Charlotte. Smith came out in off-man with his feet and hips locked towards the receiver.
Smith's man ran a hook towards the middle of the field, and he read the route from the snap. He dove in front of the pass and came up with the ball, giving the Gamecocks excellent field position and continuing the momentum.
South Carolina forced one turnover all season entering Saturday, and regaining one of the best ball-hawks in college certainly helps that issue. Smith is making up for lost time but put some excellent things on tape against Charlotte.
He must continue improving his eye discipline in zone coverage, as he got beat several times in 2021 when watching the wrong thing. Defensive coordinator Clayton White has varied looks through the first few weeks, playing a mix of off-zone and press-man.
South Carolina has been relatively predictable in their backend, and Smith's return may permit them to disguise things pre-snap. They can tinker with that concept this weekend against South Carolina State before they face one of the best quarterbacks in the country, Will Levis.
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