South Carolina's Cam Smith embraces national spotlight
It wasn’t that long ago that Cam Smith was making plays at Westwood High School. Now a redshirt junior at South Carolina, Smith heads into the 2022 season regarded as one of the top returning cornerbacks in college football.
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“It’s really a blessing to see how everything has come full (circle),” said Smith. “It doesn’t go exactly how you planned it. It’s not tied with a bow but it’s still a gift.”
Coming off a year in which he had three interceptions, defended ten passes, 41 tackles and forced a fumble, Smith earned multiple honors. That included being named AP Second Team All-SEC, ProFootballFocus Second Team All-SEC, Fourth Team All-SEC by Phil Steele, and a Honorable Mention All-America by ProFootballFocus.
Heading into this season, the preseason accolades keep piling up for him. Smith has been to multiple preseason All-America teams. He’s also been placed on a handful of watch list including for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, given annually to college football’s best defensive player and the Jim Thorpe Award, which goes to the best defensive back in the country.
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“There’s not too much to manage. You get a notification (about a preseason watch list) and you show your mom. A (preseason) list is alright. But for someone to put your name down on a ballot (at the end of the year) that’s the real thing right there. That’s what I’m working for.”
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Last season Smith finished with an 88.4 overall grade from PFF. He allowed just 15 receptions on 32 targets for 184 yards. The majority of his body of work came from playing on the outside at cornerback. But with his versatility, don’t be surprised to see him play a lot of nickel this season as well. Ultimately, that will come down to what South Carolina needs him to do the most for them.
“I don’t really need to show (the NFL) that I can play outside. Everybody knows that I can play outside. I just want to show that I can play on the inside while also helping my team at the same time.”
