A South Carolina football player is on the rise after the Senior Bowl.
Former South Carolina player Shi Smith participated in the Senior Bowl last weekend, and his performance throughout the week caught the eye of some NFL recruiting analysts. The four-year holder for Gamecocks was one of the best training practitioners of the week, and had a solid outlet in the game itself, producing the longest scrimmage game by any team.
In Saturday’s competition, Smith recorded three receptions, which he transformed into 57 reception yards. His longer reception of the day came on a deep post from quarterback Kellen Mond, which Smith took for 32 yards. He also picked up a sliding footprint on a 21-meter low throw.
His performance in the game alone was enough for scouts to notice, but he was also one of the most consistent training players throughout the week. Here’s what Fan Nation’s Alec Pulido has to say about Smith, who he rated one of the ‘risers’ for the next NFL draft.
As an option for receiving slots, Smith showed his ability to win quickly with his feet. His route run was excellent and he broke up well. He also showed strong hands. Since it showed everything you want from a slot receiver, expect it to be taken at the end of day two or the beginning of the third day.
Pulido was not the only one to be impressed by the presentation of Smith’s Senior Bowl. Jordan Reid of the Draft Network ranked Smith as one of the best offensive players on the first day of practice, while Pro Football Focus analysts Daniel Jeremiah and Chase Goodbread went so far as to say that Smith “will be a Day 1 holder in the next level slot”.
Smith was a four-year highlight with the Gamecocks from 2017 to 2020. He scored at least 400 receiving yards in each of his four seasons, culminating in a 633-yard team in 45 catches last year. He ended his career with the fourth highest number of catches in the school’s history (174).
Smith projects to be a slot receiver at the next level, a position where he spent three years with Gamecocks. As of now, he is ranked as one of the top 20 recipients and projects to be a selection from the third to the fourth round. After showing the Senior Bowl, we’ll see how high your stock goes up until the day of the draft.