Stellar, Standard & Subpar: Tykee Smith in 2020
As we inch closer and closer to the start of the 2020 season, we take an in-depth look at each player on the Mountaineer roster. In these breakdowns, we discuss what a stellar, standard, and subpar season would look like for them. We are going in numerical order, so today we turn to safety Tykee Smith.
In a year where there was not much to be excited about for Mountaineer fans, freshman Tykee Smith showcased his star potential. At the end of the season, Smith was named a FWAA All-American and earned All-Big 12 Honorable Mention. He finished the season with 53 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, six pass deflections, one sack, and one forced fumble.
Smith quickly emerged as West Virginia's star in the secondary as he had a pick six and five tackles vs Iowa State. He followed that up a couple of weeks later with five tackles, a sack, and a forced fumble at Baylor. Great defensive players always seem to be around the ball at the end of the play and Smith was one of those guys in 2019. It seemed like whether it was a pass or a run, he was in on the action.
Heading into the 2020 season, Smith not only has one year of experience under his belt, but has the Big 12's attention. Teams are going to be paying close attention as to where he lines up on the field and try to go opposite of where he is. Now that he's not an unknown commodity, it'll be interesting to see how Smith performs. If 2019 was any indication of the player he can be, I would vouch to say it shouldn't concern him. Smith is an extremely talented player and could arguably be one of the best safeties in the Big 12 as a sophomore.
Stellar
A stellar season for Smith isn't too far off from his standard. He will become one of the best secondary players in not only the conference, but start to gain national attention as well.
Standard
Flying all over the field and making plays on a weekly basis is the standard for Tykee Smith. Anything outside of being a star in the Mountaineers' secondary would be out of the ordinary for him.
Subpar
Although it is doubtful, Smith reverting from his star status to just being another player in the Mountaineer defense would be considered a subpar season for him. He's already reached stardom at a young age, he can't go back now.
Previous Players
What kind of season are you expecting for Tykee Smith in 2020? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below!
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