The one name Kentucky football fans will have to get to know
If they were a singing group, we could call them “The Five Smiths.”
It is not just that Mark Stoops and Kentucky have five players whose last names are Smith among their incoming class of 2024 recruits.
All five are defensive players. So should UK defensive coordinator Brad White ever yell, “Hey, Smith,” he will activate 11.627 percent of his program’s scholarship defenders.
In alphabetical order, “The Five Smiths” on the UK defensive roster are Antwan, Devin, Jacob, Jaden and Jerod II.
“I won’t say it is weird, but it is an interesting experience. I’ve never had this many Smiths on my team,” says Antwan Smith.
When he came to Lexington from Brunswick, Georgia, Devin Smith was unaware he was joining “The Five Smiths.”
“When I realized it, I liked it,” he says. “It’s cool. It’s fun to be around Smiths.”
For Kentucky backers, the coming football seasons could evolve into a game of “Know That Smith.” To help in that process, we spent last Friday’s UK football Media Day catching up with the Smiths.
What we found is that one Smith is traumatized from a skydiving experience; one Smith turned down his brother’s college alma mater, Duke, to carve his own path at UK; and three Smiths decommitted from reigning national champion Michigan to choose Kentucky.
These are “The Five Smiths” at UK:
Know that Smith: Antwan
The skinny: A 6-foot-3, 205-pound inside linebacker from Westlake High School in Atlanta, Antwan Smith had 21 tackles, four tackles for loss and three quarterback sacks as a high school senior.
As a UK freshman: After playing on the edge in high school, is making the move to inside linebacker at UK. The Kentucky coaches “have a bigger vision for me. They put me at (weakside linebacker),” says Antwan Smith. “So it’s just trusting the vision and trusting the process of what they are going to do for me.”
“The Five Smiths” factoid: A brother, Deon Jackson, ran for 2,267 yards as a Duke Blue Devils running back (2017 through 2020). In spite of that, Antwan Smith turned down Duke (among others) in choosing Kentucky.
“It wasn’t hard,” Antwan Smith says. “I decided to choose my own path, take a different route.”
What Antwan Smith will wear on the back of his No. 44 Kentucky jersey: “A. Smith.”
Know that Smith: Devin
The skinny: The 6-foot, 221-pound inside linebacker had 62 tackles, 18 tackles for loss and 12 sacks as a Brunswick (Ga.) High School senior.
As a UK freshman: Is moving from outside linebacker in high school to middle linebacker at Kentucky. The challenge of making that transition “is seeing everything from the back,” Devin Smith says. “I think it is going to be better than coming off the edge. I can go sideline-to-sideline to make plays.”
“The Five Smiths” factoid: As a recruit, Devin Smith had one of the most impressive offer lists of any player Kentucky has recently signed. He held offers from Alabama, Georgia, Michigan, Notre Dame, Penn State and Texas, among many others.
Devin Smith says the recruiting persistence of UK assistant Chris Collins helped the Wildcats prevail. “They just kept coming at me,” he says of Kentucky. “It just felt like a family around here.”
What Devin Smith will wear on the back of his No. 32 jersey: “D. Smith.”
Know that Smith: Jacob
The skinny: The 6-4, 240-pound outside linebacker had 103 tackles, five tackles for loss, four QB sacks and three forced fumbles last season for Corbin High School.
As a UK freshman: Is set to play outside linebacker. “I feel like I can definitely see some reps this year,” Jacob Smith says. “But we won’t know that until the season comes.”
“The Five Smiths” factoid: Along with his twin brother and fellow UK freshman Jerod Smith II, Jacob spent two years attending Connecticut boarding schools, Cheshire Academy in 2021-22 and Loomis Chaffee School in 2022-23.
“The academic part is a lot tougher,” Jacob Smith says of prep school life. “Your independent responsibilities that you have to hold yourself to is the main part about boarding school that gets you prepared for college.”
What Jacob Smith will wear on the back of his No. 16 jersey: “JC Smith.”
Know that Smith: Jaden
The skinny: As a linebacker, the 6-3, 206-pound Smith had 91 tackles, 25 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, three blocked punts and two blocked field goals last season for West Charlotte High School in North Carolina.
Originally signed with Michigan, but was released from his letter of intent with the Wolverines after the coaches who had primarily recruited him departed the school.
As a UK freshman: Will begin his college career as a safety. “I’ve got a smaller build, so maybe I’ll play free safety. I’ll play hybrid here. It’s going good,” Jaden Smith says.
“The Five Smiths” factoid: When he turned 16, Jaden Smith went skydiving for his birthday, making a dual jump with a more experienced skydiver.
“I didn’t like it at all. I’m scared of heights,” Jaden Smith says. “There won’t be anymore skydiving for me.”
What Jaden Smith will wear on the back of his No. 24 jersey: “JD Smith.”
Know that Smith: Jerod II
The skinny: The 6-4, 273-pound defensive lineman made 90 tackles, 20 tackles for loss and nine sacks last season for Corbin High School.
As a UK freshman: Will be a down defensive lineman for Kentucky, cross-training at both tackle and end in UK’s 3-4 scheme. “I believe if I keep working and getting better, I’ll find my time on the field for a few snaps each game,” Jerod Smith II says.
“The Five Smiths” factoid: Along with twin brother Jacob (see above), was originally committed to play for Michigan. However, after spending two years attending Connecticut boarding schools, the brothers — who had begun their high school football careers at Somerset — returned to Kentucky to play as seniors at Corbin.
That decision played a role in flipping their college plans as well, Jerod Smith II says.
“Just being back home kind of helped (the decision to choose UK), realizing we didn’t want to leave home again,” he said. “All the family lives here, so it’s just better for everybody.”
What Jerod Smith II will wear on the back of his No. 95 jersey: “Smith II.”
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