Tennessee football at South Carolina: Five Gamecocks to watch
Freshman. DQ Smith. 3. 850. Scouting Report. Defensive back. player. Pick Analysis
6’1″ 212 pounds
He’s technically not even a starter. However, DQ Smith is the No. 2 man at three defensive back spots, directly behind Cam Smith at nickel, Devonni Reed at free safety and Nick Emmanwori at strong safety. Because of that, he ends up seeing a ton of action in games for South Carolina anyway, and he’s effectively a starter.
In the process, Smith has been one of the best playmakers. For the year, he has an interception, a forced fumble, a sack, five pass deflections and 38 tackles, 29 of which were solo. On top of that, he has run back a blocked punt for a touchdown on the year, one that Rashad Amos blocked.
To be far, wide receiver Ahmarean Brown has also run back a blocked punt for a touchdown, but Smith sees a lot more action, so there are multiple ways he can be a threat. Blocked punts are part of it, though, as Tennessee football has allowed a punt to be blocked on the year. Again, Beamerball is a huge threat to the Vols.
Reed, Emmanwori and Cam Smith will still be threats at defensive back, but DQ Smith is probably the biggest threat among non-cornerbacks. Given the way he can play multiple positions, he can always sneak up on you if you aren’t careful, so Hendon Hooker always needs to watch for him.