Derick Smith, 4-star in-state wide receiver, signs with Auburn

Four-star wide receiver Derick Smith of Selma (Ala.) Southside signed with Auburn on Wednesday, the first day of the early signing period.

The Smith File

Position: Wide receiver – Outside and slot

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1 / 185 pounds

Key trait: Smith is a do-it-all athlete. He plays offense, defense, and special teams–if it is a skill position, he plays it. Smith could project on either side of the ball at Auburn, but will start at receiver. He is the most pure athlete in this class.

On3 Industry Ranking: (93.69) No. 85 overall, No. 2 Athlete, No. 5 in Alabama

Commitment date: July 29, 2024

Chose Auburn over: Alabama

Time of enrollment: May

Notable: Smith was committed to Alabama for a few months. He indicated that he would be at both Auburn’s and Alabama’s big summer recruiting events. Smith was at Auburn for Big Cat Weekend, then did not show at Alabama for the cook out. He would flip to Auburn early in the next week.

Quoteworthy: “I just love the atmosphere at Auburn. It gets better and better every time I come. I ain’t gonna lie, I love the fans here. I have great relationships with the coaches. They really want me at receiver. I love Coach (Hugh) Freeze and how he develops good receivers in the NFL. He said he can develop me to be next.”

Film Breakdown

*** FIlm breakdown written by Auburn Live Analyst Cole Pinkston

— Smith is bigger than most think in person. He has long torso and long arms at 6-foot 185 pounds. Smith is built to hold around 200 pounds on the next level. 

— Smith is a dynamic athlete. He is lightning quick, has the track speed, and has a knack for making plays. On offense, he is a homerun hitter. On defense, he is a threat to make a big stop or make a play on the ball in the air. 

— The most underrated attribute of Smith is his physicality. He plays with a nasty streak and loves taunting opponents no matter what side of the ball. He let’s his playing do the talking. 

— Auburn will give Smith a choice, but he tells Auburn Live there is no positional preference. The Tigers want him on offense, though. 

— Smith is not limited at receiver. He is a fit in the slot or on the outside. He would make an excellent kick/punt returner, too. 

— Smith’s football IQ is all about instinct. He will be raw at receiver. There will be a learning curve with the intricate details. Smith has the best ball-carrying instinct I have seen in person. He can make something out of nothing. He reminds me of a lot of Kadarius Toneyin his Florida days.

— Physically and athletically, Smith will be ready to roll. Mentally, as a developing wide receiver, Smith will need some time to figure it out. His skillset is too good to hold back. There will be plays designed to get him in space early in his Auburn career.

In-person eval

*** In-person eval written by Auburn Live Analyst Cole Pinkston

— Per usual, Derick Smith was everything he’s advertised to be. One thing that continues to show up with him is his effort. You watch other top recruits and often want more from their effort. That’s never in question with Smith. He plays hard on both sides of the ball. 

— As he always does, Smith stands out just as much on defense as he does on offense. The best play of the night was an outside run play in which Smith had to come down as the edge player essentially. Smith kept his outside arm free–like a linebacker–and made a fantastic tackle for little-to-no gain.. That’s advanced and SEC ready all day.

— Then there was the play. You’ll have to forgive me for being old-school, but back in the day we called this getting “MOSSED.” Smith went up over two defenders.. The safety was in position to make the play, but it didn’t matter. (This is what Auburn should be doing more of, for the record.. THROW IT UP). This was a fantastic play. This was right before half. 

— Talking to a source close to Derick Smith, he was only planning to play one half in the game as he is coming off of a nagging ankle injury and preparing for a big playoff run. This source also thinks Smith could end up on either side of the ball for Auburn, but will start at receiver.