Most Impactful Rebels for 2019: No. 37 Keidron Smith
OXFORD, Miss. — As we count down the days until the Ole Miss season opener against Memphis in the Liberty Bowl, we are releasing who we think the Top 50 Most Impactful Players will be for the Rebels this season. This series is a way for Ole Miss fans to learn more about players to keep an eye on this fall.
With 37 days before kickoff, coming in at No. 37…
Keidron Smith
Keidron Smith was a consensus three-star defensive back in the Ole Miss class of 2018, according to ESPN, Rivals, and 247Sports.
As a senior at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach, Florida, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Smith notched 74 tackles and seven career interceptions en route to winning a state championship his senior year with the 10-2 ThunderWolves.
Last season at Ole Miss, Smith was expected to be in the rotation at cornerback, but when Jaylon Jones suffered a season-ending injury against Texas Tech in the Rebels’ first game of the season, Smith’s role became even greater.
As a true freshman, Smith played in all twelve games and started at cornerback in the last four games of the season against South Carolina, Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State.
He finished the season with 47 total tackles, four pass breakups, and one interception. Against Alabama, he had a career high seven tackles along with a pass breakup.
Smith had a very good spring camp and took a lot of reps with the first team. He tallied four tackles in April’s Grove Bowl.
Smith believes the move from the 4-2-5 to new defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre’s 3-4 system has been seamless. “Pretty easy transition,” he said. “Coach Mac is a cool guy. He’s going to sit down and teach you things, break it down for you so you understand it.”
Smith made it clear how much it helped him last season being able to practice against players like A.J. Brown, D.K. Metcalf and DaMarkus Lodge, all of whom are now NFL receivers.
“That’s pretty much why I’m so confident being able to go out there. I’ve faced the best.”
Keidron Smith on how it helped him facing A.J., D.K., and DaMarkus in practice last year
Heading into fall camp, Smith is listed as the starter with Jaylon Jones at one of the cornerback spots, while Myles Hartsfield will occupy the other cornerback spot.
Smith has great length and size for the cornerback position, and the experience he gained last year as a true freshman will only help him for his upcoming sophomore season. Keep an eye out for No. 20 on defense this fall!
Top 50 Most Impactful Rebels:
37. Keidron Smith
38. Snoop Conner
39. Michael Howard
40. Vernon Dasher
41. Ryder Anderson
42. D’Vaughn Pennamon
43. C.J. Miller
44. Charles Wiley
45. Sincere David
46. Mac Brown
47. Jason Pellerin
48. Chandler Tuitt
49. Dannis Jackson
50. Jonathan Mingo
Derrell Hart
Derrell has covered Ole Miss athletics in the past for Rebels247 at 247Sports. He attended Delta State University where he graduated with a B.S. in Biology. He is currently pursuing his Pharm.D. at the University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy with an expected graduation of May, 2020.
