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South Carolina corner Cam Smith ranked No. 20 on Mel Kiper's 2023 NFL Draft big board

275133747_4796292347117549_592518599057046758_nby:Jonathan Wagner•05/31/22•

Jonathan Wagner

On3 image
Jacob Kupferman via Getty Images.

ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper took a look towards the 2023 draft on Tuesday morning, releasing an updated Top 25 big board for next year’s class. Cracking the list was South Carolina Gamecocks star cornerback Cam Smith.

Smith came in at No. 20 on Kiper’s big board. He is Kiper’s second-rated defensive back, only trailing behind Alabama cornerback Eli Ricks, who came in at No. 8. Georgia’s Kelee Ringo and Texas A&M’s Antonio Johnson are the other defensive backs that cracked Kiper’s Top 25 for the 2023 NFL Draft.

When Smith first arrived at South Carolina, he did so as a highly touted recruit. He was rated as a four-star recruit, a national top 150 player and the No. 14 cornerback in the 2019 cycle, according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

Smith has continued to progress since arriving on South Carolina’s campus as a true freshman in 2019. He redshirted in 2019 after playing in just two games, where he totaled seven tackles. Smith then played in eight games in 2020, totaling 16 tackles, two interceptions, and two passes defended.

This past season was Smith’s breakout campaign. In 11 games, he finished with 41 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions, 11 passes defended, and he also forced one fumble. His strong season ended with AP Second Team All-SEC honors, in addition to being a Fourth Team All-SEC selection by Phil Steele.

Smith was a big part of South Carolina’s defense last season. The Gamecocks allowed just 178.8 passing yards allowed per game in 2021, which ranked as the second-best total in the SEC. South Carolina also ranked in the upper half of the conference in terms of points allowed per game and points allowed per contest.

If Smith can turn in another strong season in 2022, he could play himself into a top pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And if Kiper’s early big board comes close to fruition, then Smith could find himself as one of , if not the top defensive back taken next offseason.