Skip to main content
georgia logo

Chris Smith is bullish on the safety talent in Georgia's pipeline

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•03/03/23•

JakeMRowe

On3 image
Icon Sportswire / Contributor PhotoG/Getty

It’s fair to say that Georgia has reached reload mode as it relates to the program’s ability to field elite defenses. Christopher Smith, who is at the 2023 NFL Scouting Combine and looking to raise his draft stock on Friday, says that’s especially true for the position he starred at for the past three seasons.

“You get plenty of names,” Smith said when asked about the talent pipeline at safety. “Malaki Starks, David Daniel (Sisavahn), Dan Jackson. You got a young kid in Joenel Aguero. I think you got (couldn’t make out who he said) coming in too as a freshman. They all bring different things to the table at the end of the day. You have to know they’re special talents to be at the University of Georgia. At the end of the day, it’s all going to come down to who can provide the best fit to our team. All of them can play anywhere. There’s plenty of names that are going to be battling for a position in that secondary.”

The Bulldogs have good blend of talent and experience at the position. Starks was a five-star prospect in the 2022 class and started 14 of 15 games in 2022. He had his struggles but he also racked up a pair of interceptions and finished third on the team in tackles with 68. Starks also tallied seven pass breakups and 1.5 tackles for loss.

Then there’s Jackson, who missed most of the 2022 season with a foot injury but recorded his first career interception in week two vs. South Carolina. He got the start in the season opener and knows Georgia system as well or better than anyone else on the roster.

Daniel-Sisavahn saw meaningful action when Jackson went down, checking into the game in DIME (six defensive backs) situations. He’s a heavy hitter built for the strong safety role Smith leaves open but he’ll have to fight off Jackson, JaCorey Thomas and Aguero, a highly-touted signee from the 2023 class, for the honors.

The Bulldogs also have a host of cornerback prospects who, like Smith did early in his career, could make the move to safety in order to get on the field while versatile defenders like Javon Bullard and Smoke Bouie might also see some time there. Bullard is the starter at STAR/nickel but the Bulldogs also have Tykee Smith and Bouie to serve in that role if it’s deemed that he’s a more impactful player at strong safety.

As for Smith, he’s doing what he can to make as much money as possible playing the game he loves. That means putting on a show Friday when he tests in front of scouts and executives.

But playing the position he played at Georgia, for as long as he did and under the watchful eye of coaches like Kirby Smart, Will Muschamp, and Fran Brown, has prepared him for quite a bit alread.

“Getting the calls, communicating to the linebackers and getting the corners and opposite safety aligned,” Smith said of his leadership role at safety. “We had a lot of young guys that didn’t have as much playing time. Very talented but you need the experience on the field to become a good player. I just did my best to give my experiences to them because they had the talent. At the end of the day, all they needed was for me to take them under my wing and show them the way. That’s all I wanted to do. Those guys are going to do a good job handling their business. We’ve got players with great ambition and a lot of talent. They’re going to be fine.”

You may also like