Brayden Smith

AS A SOPHOMORE (2024): FCS Football Central All-America (All Purpose) ... 2024 Stats Perform FCS All-America (Punt Returner) … All-Southern Conference … Preseason All-Southern Conference (Phil Steele) … Started 11 games at slot wide receiver … Ranked 14th nationally with 123.91 all purpose yards per game … Ranked 4th nationally with 861 combined kick return yards … Led team with 1,363 all purpose yards and eight touchdowns … Caught 32 passes for 425 yards and five scores … Logged 13 rushes for 73 yards and one touchdown … Returned 24 punts for 315 yards (13.1 average, 8th NCAA), and ranked second, nationally, with a pair of punt return touchdowns … Returned 23 kickoffs for 546 yards (23.7 average, 27th NCAA) … Tallied multiple receptions in 11 contests, including a season-high four receptions against Bethune-Cookman, The Citadel, Wofford and East Tennessee State … Amassed a season-high 83 receiving yards and one score at Bethune-Cookman … Registered multiple rushing attempts four times, including a season-high three carries (20 yards) against Western Carolina … Turned in 100 or more all-purpose yards five times, including a season-best 238 all-purpose yards against Presbyterian … Performance against the Blue Hose, which included a 75-yard punt return touchdown, earned him both FCS Stats Perform National Special Teams Player of the Week and Southern Conference Special Teams Player of the Week laurels … Amassed 196 all-purpose yards against Princeton, including a 64-yard punt return score. AS A FRESHMAN (2023): Played in 10 games, including a pair of starts … Accounted for 285 all-purpose yards, including 98 kickoff return yards (5 returns) … Also caught 12 passes for 95 yards and logged six carries for 93 yards and a touchdown … Made collegiate debut at Ole Miss and recorded a 19-yard reception in the third quarter … Earned first start of the season at Western Carolina and responded with a season-best five catches for 36 yards, as well as a 16-yard run in the first quarter … Carried the ball twice for 60 yards at The Citadel, including a 50-yard touchdown gallop in the fourth period … Logged a season-longest 35-yard kickoff return against the Bulldogs as well … Also caught four passes for 34 yards in win over Samford. HIGH SCHOOL: Prepped at Tattnall Square Academy for coach John Abernathy … Picked up second-straight all-state laurels as a senior after hauling in 51 catches for 1,024 yards … Earned Macon Touchdown Club Special Teams Player of the Year honors as a junior … Also registered 39 catches for 721 yards … Was also a standout track & field performer for the Trojans … Earned a state title as part of Tattnall’s 4x100m Relay squad. PERSONAL: The son of Jennifer Nash and Nathan Smith … Has two brothers, Taylor and Tyler, and one sister, Evelyn … Maintained a 3.7 cumulative grade point average at Tattnall Square Academy … A business major at Mercer.