DeVonta Smith’s earth-scorching performance against LSU earned him a conference honor this week, and his record-breaking season has him positioned to possibly earn the award for college football’s best receiver.
Smith caught eight passes for 231 yards and three touchdowns against the Tigers. Over 200 of his receiving yards came in the first half alone.
His performance earned him SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors, the conference announced Monday.
Monday also saw the release of the semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, the annual prize for college football’s best receiver, and Smith was one of 11 players included.
The SEC Offensive Player of the Week distinction is Smith’s second this season. He was also named the best offensive player in the conference for his performance against Kentucky in late November.
Smith’s being named as a Biletnikoff Award semifinalist is another second; he earned the same status for the 2019 season when the award ultimately went to Ja’Marr Chase.
The other semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award are, in alphabetical order, Jonathan Adams, Jr. of Arkansas State, Dyami Brown of North Carolina, Jaelon Darden of North Texas, Ty Fryfogle of Indiana, Dax Milne of BYU, Elijah Moore of Ole Miss, Kyle Pitts of Florida, Amari Rodgers of Clemson, Tylan Wallace of Oklahoma State and Marlon Williams of UCF.
Smith would join an elite group of recent Crimson Tide players if he is selected by voters for the award. Amari Cooper in 2014 and Jerry Jeudy in 2018 were Biletnikoff Award winners.
Henry Thornton is a staff writer for Yellowhammer News. You can contact him by email: [email protected] or on Twitter @HenryThornton95.
Don’t miss out! Subscribe today to have Alabama’s leading headlines delivered to your inbox.