USC football countdown to kickoff—Cameron Smith in focus
Position: Linebacker
Years played at USC: 2015-2018
Career highlights: As a true freshman in 2015, Smith burst onto the scene with a three-interception game against Utah, one of which he returned for a pick six. Funnily enough, however, those would be the only three interceptions Smith would record in his entire USC career. Despite this, he still had an exceptional tenure in Cardinal and Gold, finishing his time with the Trojans with 353 total tackles, 11 passes defended, and 3.5 sacks.
Smith earned first-team All-Pac-12 honors in 2017 and second-team honors in both 2016 and 2018. In both his junior and seniors seasons, he was named a team captain.
After USC: The Minnesota Vikings selected Smith in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL Draft. As a rookie, he appeared in five regular season games, recording eight total tackles. During the summer of 2020, however, it was announced that Smith would need to undergo open heart surgery, causing him to miss the entire season. He medically retired from football the following year.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
Lambert-Smith among Hall of Fame game standouts
The Fantasy Football Happy Hour crew discuss some of the top storylines from the Hall of Fame game, including the performance from Chargers rookie KeAndre Lambert-Smith and what to expect from the Lions offense in 2025.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
BYU looking to fill unexpected hole at quarterback after Jake Retzlaff's offseason departure
PROVO, Utah (AP) — BYU is unexpectedly searching for a new starting quarterback while trying to contend for a Big 12 title again this season. Jake Retzlaff led the Cougars to an 11-2 record and an Alamo Bowl victory over Colorado a year ago while throwing for 2,947 yards and 20 touchdowns. With Retzlaff returning for his senior season, BYU was optimistic about building on that success in 2025. But he left the program in July. Retzlaff was named as a defendant in a since-dismissed civil lawsuit that accused him of sexual assault. He acknowledged what he described as a consensual sexual relationship in his defense. Following the lawsuit's dismissal, Retzlaff transferred to Tulane rather than face a potential suspension for violating a requirement in BYU's honor code asking students to abstain from premarital sex. His departure left a major hole in BYU's offense heading into fall camp. Three quarterbacks — McCae Hillstead, Treyson Bourguet, and Bear Bachmeier — have emerged as serious candidates to be the new signal caller. 'Luckily this staff has been through quarterback competitions many times before,' BYU coach Kalani Sitake said. 'The goal is to try to get these guys in situations where we can play football and see how they can function.' Hillstead and Bourguet have already spent a year in the program. Both players were buried on the depth chart behind Retzlaff and backup QB Gerry Bohanon after transferring into BYU last season. Each quarterback came to Provo with starting experience at their previous schools. Hillstead appeared in eight games, starting four, as a true freshman in 2023. He threw for 1,062 yards and 11 touchdowns while completing 59.5% of his passes. During his lone season with the Aggies, Hillstead set Utah State's freshman single-game passing record. He tallied 399 yards and four touchdowns on 25-of-47 passing in a 45-38 loss to James Madison. Hillstead is listed at 5-foot-10 and struggled to stay healthy at Utah State. But he's confident that his familiarity with the BYU playbook and his experience with the Aggies will help him overcome any perceived disadvantage with his height and smaller frame. 'You can't try to be anybody else other than yourself,' Hillstead said. 'Put that all on tape. Be your best self and try to go get it.' Bourguet played in 10 games over two seasons at Western Michigan before transferring to BYU in 2024. He threw for 1,314 yards and six touchdowns while completing 52.4% of his passes. The 6-foot-2 junior is feeling confident after having continuity for the first time in his football career. Bourguet had to adapt to new coaches and new offensive systems in all four years of high school football and both seasons at Western Michigan. 'This is most confident and comfortable I've been in a system my whole career,' Bourguet said. Bachmeier did not play a snap for Stanford, transferring from the Cardinal to the Cougars after spring practices. The 6-foot-2 true freshman is trying to follow in the footsteps of his older brother, Hank, who won the starting job as a freshman at Boise State. Hank Bachmeier eventually made 48 career starts in stints at Boise State, Louisiana Tech, and Wake Forest, tallying 11,256 yards and 67 touchdowns over six seasons. The younger Bachmeier looks at his older brother as his primary mentor as he tries to make his own mark. 'He's obviously played a lot of ball, he's got a lot of experience,' Bachmeier said. 'So I'm just trying to be a sponge with him. Obviously, he's passing down a lot of knowledge to me and I'm trying to soak it up as much as I can.' Sitake and offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick split first-teams reps evenly between Hillstead, Bachmeier, and Bourguet in the first fall practice. Their preference is to name a starter quickly, but they also don't want to rush their evaluation period ahead of the season opener at home against Portland State on August 30th. 'I know that we can wait until the first game, but we'd like to get it sorted out as soon as we can,' Sitake said. 'You can't really put a deadline to it. It's not like we have to have this much done in day one, day two, or day three. I just like to see them go with the flow of the offense.' ___ AP college football: and
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Chiefs scouting report: Alabama Crimson Tide DT James Smith
Last year, Chris Jones signed a contract extension and earned his third consecutive First Team All-Pro selection. All signs point toward the 31-year-old maintaining his dominance for the foreseeable future. However, the Kansas City Chiefs should keep their eyes on the 2026 NFL draft and the next generation of defensive tackles. Alabama Crimson Tide defensive tackle James Smith saw his first meaningful action last season. With fewer than 400 career defensive snaps under his belt, Smith is an explosive and slightly undersized developmental lineman with the athletic traits to make a splash in the coming years. Smith is unofficially listed at 6'3", 296 lbs. He possesses a natural leverage advantage and makes up for his lack of mass by exploding off the line to shoot through gaps. Smith fits the classic penetrating 3-tech role. He displays impressive agility and burst when quickly exchanging gaps at the snap and on stunts. Smith's power is still inconsistent but takes over some plays with a two-armed bull rush that walks guards or centers into the pocket. His hands lack pop, but his arm extensions pry up the lineman's pad level and create some immediate displacement. Smith lacks elite arm length but compensates with good strike placement. Smith's pass rush plan includes clubs, converting speed to power, push-pulls, rips and spins. His club-swim is his best pass rush move. It generates some instantaneous wins and early pressures, especially against centers. Smith's hands are active but lack refinement. He needs to play with better control and timing to maximize his athletic traits. Smith's lack of mass and attacking mentality create a mixed bag of results in run defense. He runs himself out of some plays and doesn't have the hand counters to consistently separate in a timely manner. Smith struggles to hold the point of attack against double teams but uses the knee-drop technique to maintain his positioning and clog run lanes. Smith's athleticism and terrific motor show up when he finds himself isolated with a guard in the run game. He appears much more patient and in control when facing linemen one-on-one, allowing him to stack and peak blocks before redirecting to the football. This article originally appeared on Chiefs Wire: 2026 NFL draft scouting report: Alabama Crimson Tide DT James Smith
