TAMPA, Fla. — If No. 1 Georgia beats No. 3 TCU in Monday’s College Football Playoff national championship, Arian Smith will go down in Bulldogs lore for coming off the bench to score his first touchdown of the season — a 76 yarder that sparked Saturday’s comeback win over Ohio State.
Here in Florida, he’ll be remembered differently. As another one that got away.
Smith is from the Polk County town of Bradley. He played 7-on-7 for Team Tampa and finished his prep career at Lakeland High. That makes him one of a dozen Bulldogs who defected from Florida to Georgia. Five others participated in Saturday’s Peach Bowl semifinal, including starting receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (Pompano Beach), leading rusher Kenny McIntosh (Fort Lauderdale) and elite NFL draft prospect Jalen Carter (Apopka).
