Nick Saban does a lot of things, but one aspect he does not do is steer his players the wrong way.
He convinced DeVonta Smith to return to school for his senior season, and it was the right decision.
As a native of Louisiana, the former four-star has been masterful all year at wide receiver. He leads college football for receiving yards (1,305) and touchdowns (15) through nine games, while ranking for receptions with 80. Smith has turned in six 100-yard games, including a pair of 200-yard performances versus Mississippi State (203) and LSU (231). He chimes in with his second straight 1,000-yard campaign, responding to the 1,256 yards he recorded in 2019. On the heels of torching LSU’s defensive backfield for a game-high eight catches for 231 yards with two scores, Smith earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
RELATED: After dominating LSU, DeVonta Smith was awarded SEC Offensive Player of the Week
To pair with this, he has also been named a semifinalist for the Fred Biletnikoff Award.
An announcement was made on Monday via the Tallahassee Quarterback Club Foundation. The Biletnikoff honor is presented to college football’s most outstanding receiver, and Smith has exemplified the traits all year. Since his game-winning touchdown in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship matchup as a freshman, he has become arguably the best player in college football. He needs 30 receptions (198) and 49 yards (3,414) to tie Amari Cooper for most all-time in Alabama history.
Smith already the school’s career record for touchdown receptions (38).
Both Cooper (2014) and Jerry Jeudy (2018) took home the Biletnikoff Award for the Tide.
Smith is prepared to be the third player in school history to win it.
*Get the BEST Alabama football insider information, message board access, and recruiting coverage today! SIGN UP HERE to unlock our subscriber only content!*
Stephen M. Smith is the managing editor and senior writer for Touchdown Alabama Magazine. You can “like” him on Facebook or “follow” him on Twitter, via @CoachingMSmith.
