Arian Smith thinks he'll focus on football over track

Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Arian Smith is a phenomenal athlete. He’s both on the football and the track team, where he flashes his elite speed.

However, as Smith explained, he expects that he’s going to focus on football going forward.

“It’s really still up in the air,” Arian Smith said. “But, not really. I don’t think I’m gonna run. Focus on football.”

It would definitely be possible for Smith to continue to run track. While not common, there are college athletes who play multiple sports. The most famous of those, historically speaking, was Bo Jackson. Still, it’s incredibly hard to do and sometimes better for a play only one sport and work to excel there.

Arian Smtih has been in Athens for three seasons now. Still, thanks to his usage of a redshirt and the pandemic season, he has three more years of eligibility remaining. So, he could develop into more of a threat than he has been in the past.

In 16 games, Smith has 12 receptions for 386 yards and four touchdowns for his career.

As a track athlete, Arian Smith also found success, particularly in the 100 meters. It was in that race that he qualified for NCAA Championships in the past, running a 10.10 second 100m in 2021.

Now, as he looks to focus on football, Kirby Smart and Mike Bobo hope that Smith’s speed can help the Bulldogs’ offense.

Arian Smith on translating track speed to the football field

Speed is an incredibly important asset to have. However, track speed doesn’t always translate to the football field. So, if Arian Smith wants to make waves, he’ll have to find a way to translate his speed from one sport to the other.

“It’s tough to give up. Like, me and Matt [Boling], we go a way back before we even got here. I do want to run. I came here to run track and play football, but my first priority was football. It’s going to be tough, but I know what I’m here for so,” Smith said.

“My mindset is to get better at football as a whole, not just going deep. Just, like, the small stuff too, everything, details, blocking, catching short routes, taking it for 50. Mostly everything, [trying to be] an all-around receiver … My long speed’s there. My short speed is what I’m focusing on. In and out of cuts. I can run, but can you stop and go?”