Van Smith led Tigers in tackles against Miami |
Clemson true freshman safety Van Smith has an impressive showing alongside the entire Clemson defense in the team's 58-0 dismantling of Miami.
Van Smith who was not even listed on the two-deep depth chart was the leading tackler for the Tigers against the Hurricanes with six tackles, a tackle for loss and an interception. It was a significant day for Smith who had only played one other time this season against App State and did appear in the Miami game until the second half. Smith brought the lumber on several massive hits and showed his teammates and his head coach that he is ready for the big stage. "It was pretty fun," Smith said. "I played a little bit in the App State game, but I played almost the whole fourth quarter against Miami. It was fun. It was a good experience. It was a way to get my feet wet." Smith said that his play shows just how deep the secondary (nicknamed No Fly Zone) is at Clemson. "It was pretty good to show that everybody in our secondary can play," Smith said. "We have Mark Fields, me, Jefferie Gibson. We have a lot of depth in our secondary. We are all pretty good." Smith played both sides of the ball in high school and as a senior had 74 tackles and six interceptions while rushing for 444 yards and 13 touchdowns on 66 carries.
Upgrade Your Account
Unlock premium boards and exclusive features (e.g. ad-free) by upgrading your account today.
Upgrade Now
