Yesterday, we unveiled No. 25 in our countdown of the most crucial KU football players for this fall. Today, it’s on to No. 24, where we flip from offense to defense.
Here’s a look.
24. Fish Smithson, 5-foot-11, 193-pound Jr. Safety
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After spending one season at Hartnell College, the friendly dude with the funky name arrived on campus prior to the 2014 season poised and ready to play Division I football.
A big reason for that was Fish’s upbringing, when he left his native Baltimore to live with his brother, Shaky, in Utah while Shaky starred for the Utes football program. Being tossed into an environment like that forced Fish to mature more quickly than most guys his age and the up-close-and-personal look at college football at a young age allowed him to pick up little things that later would help him make the transition.
In a back-up role to Cassius Sendish and Isaiah Johnson, Fish played in all 12 games last season and finished as KU’s fifth-leading tackler.
With those guys out of the picture and the completely remade secondary desperate for leadership and a veteran presence, Fish should have a chance to emerge not only as more of a play-maker but also as one of the generals on defense for the Jayhawks.
Not blessed with any one spectacular skill, Fish is incredibly solid in several areas. He’s a lot like Sendish in that way and he is not afraid to stick his nose in there to make a tackle.
The Jayhawks have a bunch of defensive backs on the roster and many of them possess terrific speed, athletic ability and upside. But few of them have the kind of game experience — and production — that Fish brings to the table and that puts the junior in position to be one of the more important pieces on the team, both in terms of delivering on the field and helping bring the young guys along.
Here’s a look at the list so far…
**Most Crucial Jayhawks 2015:**
