2023 - All-Sun Belt Conference Honorable Mention
2024-25: Played in and started six games … Saw action on 431 plays (395 defense, 36 special teams) … Had 28 tackles, including one for loss, and an interception … Had six tackles in the opener against Boise State … Posted nine tackles in the win at Nevada … Had a tackle against South Carolina State … Recorded six tackles, including one for loss, at Ole Miss … Had three tackles and an interception in the win at Georgia State … Posted three tackles in the win over Marshall … Left the game early due to injury and missed the rest of the season … Made the President’s List in the fall for making a perfect 4.00 GPA.
2023-24: Started all 13 games … Was on the field for 767 total snaps (759 defense, eight special teams) … An honorable mention All-Sun Belt selection from the league … Had 52 tackles, including one for loss, along with three interceptions and three pass breakups … Got the start and posted a tackle in the opener against The Citadel … Selected to wear the #0 jersey for that game … Had two tackles and a big fourth-quarter interception in the win over UAB … Recorded six tackles at Wisconsin … Had a tackle in the win at Ball State … Posted eight tackles in the win over Coastal Carolina … Had five tackles at James Madison … Had four tackles and an interception that he returned 43 yards in the win over ULM … Had six tackles and a pass break up in the win over Georgia State … Posted five tackles at Texas State … Had three tackles, including one for loss, at Marshall … Recorded a tackle against Old Dominion … Had six tackles and an interception at App State … Had four tackles and a pass breakup against Ohio in the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
2022-23: Played in 11 games for the Big 12 Champion Wildcats … Tallied 19 tackles … Also had one pass break up … Entered the NCAA Transfer Portal in December … Enrolled at Georgia Southern in January.
2021-22: A seven-game starter who played in all 13 games, ranking eighth on the team with 39 tackles … Bookended the regular season with an interception against Stanford – which he returned 39 yards – with one at Texas … Also broke up passes against Southern Illinois and Kansas, while he recovered a fumble against Baylor … Set a career high with seven tackles at Oklahoma State and had five apiece against Southern Illinois and Iowa State … A Second-Team Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
2020-21: Played in each of the first four games prior to a season-ending injury … Was redshirted … Tallied seven tackles on the year, including a season-high four stops against Texas Tech … Also had a pair of tackles in K-State’s win at No. 3 Oklahoma.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played at McEachern High under head coach Franklin Stephens … Rated the 62nd-best cornerback in the Class of 2020 by Rivals … Registered 41 tackles and 10 passes defended as a senior … Helped lead the Indians to a 12-1 record and a trip to the quarterfinals of the state championship in 2019… Team went 14-1 and earned a state championship his sophomore season of 2017 .
PERSONAL: Born Tajiri Smith on September 23 in Atlanta … Son of Chris and Shandra Smith … Brother, Christopher Smith II, was a defensive back at Georgia who earned unanimous All-America honors in 2022 … Also has a sister, Kaila.
MAJOR: Interdisciplinary Studies - Culture & Society (Graduated)
