Count incoming freshman Christopher Smith as being surprised that Deandre Baker decided to come back for his senior year.
Like some, Smith thought Baker might forgo his final season at Georgia and head to the NFL after his performance in the College Football Playoffs. That didn't happen, so now the former Hapeville Charter standout is anxious to learn what he can.
“He’s done made a lot of plays this year. I really thought he was going to go out with the terrific year he had, so I’m really excited to get up there and see what he has to feed to me,” Smith said. “I’ll take everything in stride. He looks like the best DB on that team so I’m definitely going to be watching him from the jump.”
Smith’s been impressed with what he’s seen.
“I don’t know him, but he seems very intelligent on the field and he always seems to be in the right place at the right time, so anything he can tell me and give me I’m open arms to it,” Smiths said. “But I’m definitely going to get up there and try to compete with him, too.”
Smith made it clear during an interview at the Atlanta Touchdown Club Awards Banquet that he’s not going to be afraid to mix it up.
With opportunities available for early playing time, he’s going to give it all he’s got.
“I’m just going to come in and compete,” Smith said. “I feel like I’m on the level of everyone that is there, nobody’s better than me. So, I’m going to come in and compete, hit those weights, hit that playbook and make sure I’m watching film and do whatever I can to touch the field.”
Competing is nothing new for Smith, who took his official visit to Georgia last weekend after signing with the Bulldogs in December.
“That’s (compete) is what I’ve always done. I just block it out, I’m just going to come in and worry about myself, listen to the veteran guys, but the main thing I do is just make sure I’m not beating myself,” Smith said. “If someone is in front of me, I’m definitely chasing that guy to get that spot.”
At 6-foot, Smith said he’s added 10 pounds in recent weeks to currently weigh 170, and expects to be in the 181-185 range when he reports to school with the rest of the freshman class in late May.
As to what unsigned players will join him, Smith predicts the Bulldogs will get some good news.
“I think we finish strong,” he said. “I think we’ll get two or three really good guys. I don’t know who, I’ve pretty much gotten off the recruiting realm. I’ve gotten off Twitter and everything, but we’ll see.”
A Bulldog all the way, Smith said Ohio State tried to make a late push, along with Michigan and Alabama, but Georgia was always where he wanted to be.
The opportunity to reconnect with former Hapeville Charter teammate William Poole, who just completed his freshman year with the Bulldogs, would have been difficult to pass up.
“I’ve known him since I was a 9-year-old and we used to go to summer camp together,” Smith said. “I was always the little cub who would always get mad at everything, so I’ve known him from a very young age and that friendship just rekindled when we came back to Hapeville.”
Those days still hold a lot of fond memories.
“We pretty much had the outside shut down. I learned a lot from him,” Smith said. “He’s one of the reasons I’m where I’m at today. I’ve always tried to model my game after his.”
