title image via BuffZone
Courtesy of Brian Howell, BuffZone
Former Jackson State defensive back Herman Smith III is reuniting with some old friends in Boulder.
Smith, who played last season at Idaho State, is transferring to Colorado for his final season of eligibility. He’ll get a chance to play once again for CU head coach Deion Sanders, who was his head coach at JSU.
Smith will also be reunited with several JSU staff members and players who came to CU with Sanders last year. That group includes fellow defensive backs Travis Hunter, Shilo Sanders and Cam’Ron Silmon-Craig.
At Idaho State this past season, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Smith played in eight games, recording 20 tackles, one tackle for loss and two pass breakups. With the Bengals, he played for former CU quarterback Cody Hawkins, the ISU head coach.
Playing safety at Jackson State from 2021-22, Smith appeared in 21 games. He played sparingly as a freshman in 2021, but in 2022 he posted 26 tackles, one TFL, one sack, one interception and four pass breakups. He also scored a touchdown when he recovered a blocked punt in the end zone.
Coming out of Lincoln (Calif.) High School in 2021, Smith was a three-star recruit who chose JSU over 13 other scholarship offers, including Boston College, Fresno State and San Diego State.
Smith is the 23rd transfer addition for the Buffs this offseason, including two other defensive backs: Preston Hodge from Liberty and DJ McKinney from Oklahoma State.
