DQ Smith

*2024 Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring
*2024 Jim Carlen Special Teams Player of the Spring
*2023 co-Jim Carlen Special Teams Player of the Spring
*2022 Third-Team Freshman All-America (CollegeFootballNews)

Fourth-year defensive back… one of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball… local product who has played both Nickel and safety… has appeared in 37 career games with 34 starts over the past three seasons, registering 164 tackles with four interceptions and 10 pass breakups.

2024 (Junior)
Third-year safety… started all 12 games in which he appeared… did not play in the win at Vanderbilt after encountering a back issue during pre-game warmups… credited with 37 tackles… also registered one interception, one forced fumble and three pass breakups… best game came at Alabama where he logged 10 tackles… also had six stops and a forced fumble against Ole Miss… picked off a pass in the Akron contest, the fourth of his career… came off an outstanding spring session in which he was selected as the Rex Enright Defensive Player of the Spring and the Jim Carlen Special Teams Player of the Spring.

2023 (Sophomore)
Played in all 12 games starting 11 at safety and nickel… placed third on the squad with 73 tackles, ranking 23rd in the SEC… credited with 1.5 tackles for loss, a half-sack, one interception, two breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery… posted two double-digit tackling performances, recording 11 stops in the season opener against  North Carolina and a career-high 12 tackles against Tennessee… also forced a fumble and intercepted a pass against the Volunteers… scooped up his first career fumble recovery in the win over Kentucky… shared the Jim Carlen Special Teams Player of the Spring award with Juju McDowell.

2022 (Freshman)
True freshman defensive back who saw action in all 13 games making 11 starts… started each of the final 11 games, the first eight at Nickel and the final three at safety… earned a spot on the CFN Freshman All-American Third-Team… ranked fourth on the squad with 54 tackles including 40 solo stops… credited with a sack, one tackle for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble… scored two touchdowns… accounted for one of the two special teams touchdowns against Georgia State, returning a blocked punt 26 yards for the score… notched his first career interception in the win over Charlotte… picked up his first collegiate sack and recorded his first career forced fumble in the win over Vanderbilt… led the team with a career-high nine tackles in the win over Tennessee… returned an interception 47 yards to paydirt in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl versus Notre Dame.

HIGH SCHOOL
Graduated from Spring Valley High School in Columbia, S.C. in 2022… played quarterback for the Vikings… coached by Robin Bacon… played defensive back before concentrating on quarterback later in his prep career… as a senior in 2021, threw for just over 1,600 yards and 14 touchdowns, and rushed for more than 500 and 14 TDs… also ran track.

PERSONAL
DeQuandre Jawuan Smith was born Feb. 24, 2004… is a retailing major.