Jihaad Campbell couldn’t help himself. Midway through a question after practice last Saturday, Alabama’s standout linebacker interjected.
DeVonta Smith has had to go through some things …
“Great guy, man,” a smiling Campbell said. “Great guy.”
And what’s it been like watching him get to a point where he has a chance to make a contribution?
“He’s a ballplayer, yeah, but he’s also a great leader,” Campbell said. “I love Smitty. I’m pretty sure everybody on the team loves Smitty.”
Co-defensive coordinator/cornerbacks coach Colin Hitschler hasn’t been on campus long, and already he’s noticed something different about the 6-foot, 194-pound cornerback from Cincinnati.
“Well, I think the first thing with DeVonta is the energy,” he said. “I mean, every day you're out there he provides energy. He’s a leader, on and off the field. He's been in and out of the lineup his whole time here, but you know he's a fighter who keeps fighting to get back.”
Smith came to Alabama three years ago with high expectations. Not only did 247Sports peg him as a top-15 cornerback nationally, he had the weight of a familiar name. He was entering the program just as Heisman Trophy winning receivers DeVonta Smith — no relation — was moving onto the NFL.
Never mind the logjam in front of him on the depth chart. Attention was paid. And for the longest time, Smith was relegated to a backup role.
In 2021, he was a special teams player with two total tackles.
In 2022, he developed into a rotational player but logged no statistics.
Last year was supposed to be his moment. With Jordan Battle and Brian Branch gone, a safety spot was up for grabs. Smith said he thought, “This is going to be my year to make some plays and celebrate with the guys.”
As Nick Saban would later say, Smith would have been “in the mix” in the secondary if not for a foot injury during the summer.
It took months to work his way back. He finally returned to action against Kentucky on Nov. 11. But by that point, the defensive rotation was set. He logged four tackles against Chattanooga but garnered no statistics in appearances against Auburn and Georgia.
We all know what happened next. After losing to Michigan in the Rose Bowl, Saban retired and the transfer portal got busy. Not only did star freshman Caleb Down leave town, so too did backups Dezz Ricks, Antonio Kite, Trey Amos and Jameer Grimsley.
Smith said his mother and grandfather emphasized loyalty to him at a young age.
“I couldn’t leave,” he said. “Alabama is where I am, and Roll Tide forever.”
Kalen DeBoer was hired as head coach, Kane Wommack took over as defensive coordinator and Smith was suddenly presented with a clean slate.
“It’s been a great thing, especially with me coming off the injury and everything starting over fresh and new,” Smith said. “You get a fresh chance to prove your identity — to showyour identity to new coaches, new people and continue to get better each and every day.”
Smith, who admitted he was frustrated last season, said he’s trying to make the most of every opportunity this spring.
He sounded excited when talking about the new staff.
Wommack, he said, is bringing a lot of energy to practice.
“He's not keeping the standard the same,” he added. “He's raising it.”
With Hitschler, Smith said there’s an emphasis on technique.
“I’m not throwing any shots at coaches we’ve had in the past or anything like that, but really this year and how we practice and everything, we take our time in individual drills to really work on the technique of things of how he wants it done and how it should look,” he explained. "Because how we do anything is how we do everything. So it’s very technical. And I really like how he’s been coaching.”
Overall, Smith said, the tempo and feel of practice is different, “But the principles and overall goals are the same.”
With Malachi Moore spending time at safety this spring, Smith has slid in at the Husky position — more commonly known as nickel back or Star.
“I’m excited about Smitty,” Wommack said. “I think he can cover. He’s a big frame, 200-plus pounds. [He’s] shown some physicality as we’ve started to put the pads on. And I think he can process and make checks and adjustments.
“That Husky position is so critical to what we do because we ask a lot out of that player. To cover man-to-man, to blitz off the edge, to play zone coverage, to sometimes pit down in the box, we’re asking quite a bit. And so it needs a very versatile skill set, and I think Smitty has that.”
Adjusting to the Husky position, Smith said, has been “easy.”
“[B]ecause playing star in Coach Saban’s defense is crazy,” he explained. “You have to know a lot of things. You have to know all the checks. You’re basically almost the quarterback of the defensive back group. So adjusting there has been easy because I’ve already had to know a lot of things.”
Thus far, Smith said, he hasn’t noticed any big differences in responsibilities from Star to Husky.
But that’s not to say that everything is the same.
Going up against DeBoer’s wide-open offense has been adjustment.
“Our offense is crazy,” Smith said. “Coach Saban, he would limit a few things our offense could do just because our defense was getting [acclimated]and everything. But they’re just throwing everything at us like off the rip.”
So into the deep end it is.
A new offense, a new defense, a new coaching staff.
A fresh start for a player who needed one.
A fresh start for a player whose leadership and experience could prove invaluable to the secondary this season.
On Saturday, Smith reported feeling 100% healthy.
No complaints, he said, putting the frustrations of the past behind him.
“This year, I'm just kind of looking at it as just take every opportunity I get and then make the most of it each and every chance that I get. So that's really where my mindset is now.”
