Tykee Smith Wins Mountaineer Maven's Aaron Beasley Award

At the conclusion of each football season, the staff at Mountaineer Maven recognizes the best players on West Virginia's roster by handing out 11 different awards. The winners of the 5th Annual Mountaineer Maven Awards will be announced throughout the week.

This 5th winner of the Mountaineer Maven Aaron Beasley Award (best defensive back) goes to sophomore Tykee Smith. Smith is the first repeat winner of the award after having won it in 2019 as a true freshman.

Smith followed up his stellar true freshman campaign with a solid sophomore season, surpassing many of his season statistics in a year where he played in two fewer games. Smith finished the 2020 season with 61 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two interceptions, and seven pass deflections.

In addition to winning the Aaron Beasley Award, Smith was also named a Third-Team AP All-American, Second-Team FWAA All-American, and was named a semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award which is given to the nation's best defensive back.

2020 Aaron Beasley Award Finalists

Tykee Smith

Sean Mahone

Dreshun Miller

Past winners

2016: CB Rasul Douglas

2017: S Kyzir White

2018: S Kenny Robinson

2019: S Tykee Smith

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