Arguably one of the fastest players college football has to offer right now, Arian Smith is legitimately one of the guys you talk about when you say, “This guy has track speed.” And it’s because he actually ran and set a record for Georgia’s Varsity track team as a freshman contributing to a team that ran a 38.54 4×100 in 2021. He himself runs a 10.31 second 100-yard dash– you can do the math trying to imagine what his 40 looks like.
Needless to say this begs the question: Why don’t the Dawgs just throw to this guy? If he’s fast he can torch defenders for touchdowns. Easy enough, right? It’s a pretty loaded question to say the least, but it’s a valid inquiry especially with the way the Dawgs have been playing offense these last two games. Also having Ladd McConkey unable to play just adds to it. And with Bobo at the helm, the offense has looked good, but nowhere near the “great” or “elite” that most are expecting. So again, Why don’t they just throw to Arian Smith?
In an interview on Wednesday, this sentiment was presented to the senior receiver to which Smith replied:
“I feel like I’m good enough to run past anyone, like, on the other side of the ball.”
Upon answering Smith revealed how he prioritizes the team above all else, even his own individual success, as he continued on saying:
“But, I never, like, come up to coach and be like, ‘Coach put me in. Like, I can run past them.’ I just do what they tell me to do. Like, wait for my time to come.”
Over the course of Smith’s career at Georgia he’s clearly been the designated “big play” guy reeling in only 14 catches in 3-going-on-4 seasons but averaging 31.1 yards a pop all at the same time. It’s clear that he understands his role and is comfortable putting the team first. There’s as much character as there is speed with this young man.
If anything, this just speaks to the connection that this team has. The Georgia Bulldogs live and die by the classic There is no “I” in team mantra, and Arian Smith is just one of a million different examples that serve as evidence of such. He’s just a player waiting his turn. It just so happens he runs fast.