MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — On a WVU defense that has shined all season, and drawn comparisons to the 1996 Mountaineers as the best in program history, sophomore safety Tykee Smith may be the brightest star in a star-studded lineup with potential pros at every level.
Most of the attention goes to the Stills brothers, Darius and Dante, on the defensive line, and Tony Fields’ tackle numbers pop out after every game.
But head coach Neal Brown believes Smith may be the most under-appreciated player not only on the team, but in the Big 12. It shouldn’t come as much of a surprise — as a true freshman in 2019, Smith played in all 12 games and started eight after JoVanni Stewart announced he was transferring.
Smith ended being an All-Big 12 honorable mention and was named to the Football Writers Association of America Freshman All-American team.
Now, through eight games this season, he’s started every one, is third on the team with 55 tackle and tied for the team lead with two interceptions.
But what exactly is the spear position? In WVU’s defensive scheme, while the label safety is added, the spear plays the nickel cornerback slot, usually matched up in man coverage with a slot receiver.
“At that position, you have to be able to play the run, but then you need to play man coverage and then zone coverage, and be able to blitz. We’re asking a lot of him,” Brown said.
“At that position, you want a physical corner. I think Tykee can do that. He can go out and play corner in this league and be competitive. Whether it’s offense, defense or special teams, you try to feature your best players. Without a doubt, we think he is our best football player and we’re trying to put him in a position where the ball gets to him.”
The high praise comes on the heels of arguably Smith’s best performance of the season Nov. 14 in the 24-6 win over TCU, when he was eventually named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week. He finished with eight tackles, including one for loss. An interception late was snagged deep in Mountaineers’ territory, sealing the first time WVU did not allow a touchdown in a game since September 2018.
While Smith made a big leap forward from his freshman to sophomore year, Brown believes the sky’s the limit. There are still areas Smith can improve and with his current trajectory, there is little reason to doubt Smith won’t hit that ceiling.
“His best football is in the future, and I think a huge emphasis on this offseason will be changing his body,” Brown said. “He’s going to have to be versatile, and he needs to be able to play at a high safety and nickel position to make himself a better candidate to play at the next level.”
Smith and the Mountaineers will have a tough challenge Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium when Oklahoma comes to town. WVU has yet to beat OU since it joined the Big 12 in 2012, and the Sooners are 11th in total offense (515 yards per game) ninth in passing offense (350 yards) and sixth in scoring (46.1 points).
The kickoff time and network will likely be announced Sunday.
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