Cam Smith ready to put 'good' memory behind him against Tennessee

Cam Smith still remembers the lowest point of his career at South Carolina.

With 1:33 to go in the fourth quarter against Tennessee, the Gamecocks prepared to get the ball back. As the Vols punted the ball, Smith, a redshirt freshman, raced down the field while covering his opponent. The ball rolled in multiple directions and took a bounce that clipped Smith’s leg, causing a scramble between both sides. Tennessee ultimately recovered the loose ball and won the game 31-27.

It only got worse from there. Smith received plenty of hateful comments for his miscue on social media.

That game was over two years ago. He still has screenshots of the hurtful messages and uses them as motivation. It might have been a bad memory for South Carolina fans but it was one of the best for Smith.

“I feel like that was really the turning point in my career,” said Smith, now a fourth-year defensive back. “So I feel like I built off that situation—built up all that adversity—and now I’m here, who I am now.”

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A lot has changed since that moment in his career. Smith has become a sought-after prospect for next year’s NFL Draft. He had a breakout season in 2021 when he recorded 41 tackles and 2.5 sacks, and intercepted three passes.

Smith hasn’t had the same numbers this season, due to different injuries and being called for more penalties. But that’s not to say he isn’t a threat in coverage anymore.

In fact, he still is. Just 23 passes have been thrown in Smith’s direction, with only 10 being hauled in. That’s good for 150 yards and one touchdown in nine games. He has a 61.9 passer rating against, according to Pro Football Focus.

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With two games left in the regular season, Smith potentially will be playing his final games in a Gamecock uniform. In his Tuesday media availability, he said Saturday will “more than likely” be his last game at Williams-Brice Stadium.

“Coming in as a freshman, all (his teammates) would do is tell you, ‘It go by fast,'” Smith said. “You don’t really think about it because you’re going day-to-day. You think about the next workout and all this stuff. … I’m coming to the end of my career, it’s just crazy. And I made so many friends, so many brothers through the whole process.”

Coincidentally, Smith’s last home game will come against the team that changed the trajectory of his career.

He hasn’t played against the Vols since that 2020 matchup. He didn’t travel with South Carolina to Knoxville last year since he was recovering from a head injury. Now, back at full strength, he’s looking forward to giving fans a better memory.

“It’s just really finally getting my statement against them,” Smith said.

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It could be a challenging night, though. Tennessee’s offense has been the best in the nation, led by top receiver Jalin Hyatt. The Irmo native leads the SEC in receiving by a wide margin, with 58 catches for 1,116 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Smith will most likely be lining up opposite Hyatt when the teams play. When Smith was asked if he would rather prevent a short pass for a long gain or get beat by a deep ball against him, he said he’d rather try to allow short yardage and make a play.

“You’re going to have those opportunities whereas one-on-ones, me and him down the field, it’s got to be a perfect ball,” he said. “So I feel like my eyes are better over the top and underneath.”

Leading up to the game, Smith said he’s eager to take on the challenge of doing something only one team has done this year: stopping Hyatt and Tennessee’s offense.

“It always brings some excitement when you’ve got a dude on the other side like that,” Smith said. “But I mean, you come in, you prepare the same way for everybody. You don’t take it and nobody for granted.”

South Carolina will face No. 5 Tennessee at 7 p.m. Saturday night. The game will be televised on ESPN.

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