21 Players in 21 Days: #4 Ainias Smith

Ainias Smith

Position: Wide receiver+

Classification: Junior
Hometown: Missouri City, TX
Listed Height: 5-10
Listed Weight: 190

Key notes from Olin’s analysis of Smith

• He's really good, and there is no doubt about it that he's versatile. To be a Heisman contender, he would have to raise his numbers, which he will. He caught 43 passes and spent a lot of time in the backfield. I could see him starting the conversation at 60 catches for 700 yards. To me, that's the floor. I'm sure he'll carry some by lining up in the backfield or on reserves.

• The real wild card for me is as a punt returner. I've seen him be one step away from breaking it. He looks that close to the big play. If he has a big season as a receiver and then starts returning a couple of kicks and A&M is winning, people might be looking at him as a potential Heisman contender. When you see guys doing a lot of different things, it resonates.

• His catches and yards are going to go up because they're playing more games. He won't always be at running back and will play more at receiver. The number of catches per game could be the same, but the yards per catch could go up because he'll face more single coverage out of necessity.

• He's not a burner, which might keep him out of the first round. He's just a football player who makes plays. If he is a 4.4 guy, that will help him out a lot, but he gets open.

• Ball security is big with him. He needs to hang onto the ball. He blocks well. He could excel at any position other than on the line. He doesn't take an ounce of fear out on the field with him.

• With them finally giving him a position that he can settle in at, he can really explode. I fully expect the floor to be 60 catches, 700 yards and eight touchdowns. That's pretty good, and he was a three-star recruit. He has a chance to be a 1,000-yard receiver because he's a big play waiting to happen. He made a lot of big plays last year for a team that didn't have many. He is just a threat and has a stealth quality about him.

• I saw that ESPN has their Top 100 college football players, and they gave Ainias the respect by putting him on the list. Still, they put him at like #93 [#94 actually]. If you do that list at the end of the year, he'll be in the top half.

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