After his National Signing Day ceremony in February, wide receiver Shi Smith said he expected to find playing time in the slot, in addition to the kick return game.
According to The State, Smith will get the start in his first college game when USC takes on N.C. State on Saturday. The speedy Smith will get most of his work from the slot, while returners Deebo Samuel and Bryan Edwards will get starts on the outside.
Smith's speed has stood out on the practice field, just like it did during his days at Union County High School. At SEC Media Days in July, Samuel said Smith was the fastest player on the roster, and the freshman's speed has impressed head coach Will Muschamp and quarterback Jake Bentley as well.
“He’s an electric guy who can make some plays with the ball in his hand,” Muschamp told The State. “Shi’s development puts more speed on the field and anytime you do that you put stress on the defense.”
Bentley added, “He’s still getting everything down to play as fast as he can but you can definitely see the speed he has."
Smith played fast against high school competition at Union, racking up 22 touchdowns in his final two seasons despite playing in a run-focused offense as a senior.
The 5-foot-10, 179-pounder was considered the Palmetto State's top prospect by ESPN, but was rated below former Wando standout OrTre Smith by 247Sports. OrTre enrolled at USC in January as the more hyped prospect of the two, but it's been the smaller Smith making big waves.
Before his signing in February, Shi compared his game to that of Samuel, saying that his 6-foot-4, 219-pound teammate OrTre plays more like Edwards. Both Smiths will have to compete for targets with several offensive weapons, including returning wide receiver Randrecous Davis and tight end Hayden Hurst. But it's Shi who will get the first shot to prove himself as a true freshman.