If you were tasked with naming the heart and soul of WVU’s defense, there is a strong probability that you would go with safety Tykee Smith.
Since storming onto the scene in 2019, Smith has made a name for himself with his play in the secondary. Pro Football Focus, an in-depth football analytics outlet, has been particularly high on the Philadelphia native.
Seemingly each time PFF publishes stats regarding defensive backs in College Football, Smith is at the top of the list in terms of production. They also named him a First Team All-American in 2020.
Last night, the outlet once again shared a tweet with statistics, this time for “fewest yards per catch allowed in coverage.” As expected, the feisty Mountaineer found himself with the fewest allowed this past season.
Fewest yards per catch allowed in coverage among DBs:
🔸 Tykee Smith, WVU – 4.4
🔸 Elijah Molden, UW – 5.9
🔸 Brandon Joseph, NW – 6.3
🔸 Otis Reese, Ole Miss – 6.3 pic.twitter.com/32YdRdDnV5— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) February 4, 2021
In the pass happy Big 12, Smith incredibly only allowed 4.4 yards per catch.
West Virginia has a solid defensive back on their hands – and in our opinion, the best best defensive back in the nation.
