Tristan Smith’s journey from under-the-radar JUCO prospect to SEMO star

SEMO wide receiver Tristan Smith runs after the catch against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Oct. 12. The junior Georgia native currently ranks third on the team in receptions (32) and receiving yards (425).

Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com

Tristan Smith’s most impressive play of the 2024 season so far is not some flashy touchdown catch or eye-popping one-handed grab over an opposing defensive back.

While the SEMO junior wide receiver’s highlight reel is littered with dazzling plays of that caliber, one of Smith’s marquee moments came in the most unlikely of scenarios.

With 12 minutes left in the second quarter of SEMO’s home game against Tennessee Tech this past Saturday, the Redhawks were faced with a third-and-6 at midfield in a 0-0 ball game. On a play that looked to have extended the drive, tight end Mitchell Sellers fumbled the ball after the catch when he tried to extend it to the first-down marker. Golden Eagle defensive back Eric Taylor then scooped up the loose ball and raced down the far sideline with green grass and a convoy of Tennessee Tech blockers ahead.

In what appeared to be a clear scoop-and-score touchdown for the Tennessee Tech defense, Smith hustled all the way down to the SEMO 10-yard-line, where he punched the ball out of Taylor’s arm and saw it roll into the back of the end zone for a touchback to regain SEMO possession.

The Redhawks ended up kicking a field goal on the ensuing drive to ignite an eventual 34-3 victory, with that momentum-shifting play being one of the most important moments of the day.

“That was an amazing effort,” head coach Tom Matukewicz said. “And it's not just an effort play, it was a smart play. You're running down and obviously could have tackled him right there, but to get the ball out was a real heady, vet-type of move. So, that's impressive. This is really his first year of being a main contributor starting.”

Effort — the one word that encapsulates that specific play and, unironically, Smith’s college football journey.

SEMO wide receiver Tristan Smith celebrates on his way to the sideline after a touchdown catch against Tennessee Tech on Saturday, Oct. 12. (Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com)

Before the LaGrange, Georgia native impressed SEMO coaches from the first moment he set foot on campus after arriving as a transfer this past spring, Smith was busy carving a path to compete at the Division 1 level.

At 6-foot-5, 205 pounds, Smith was a standout two-sport athlete as both a football and basketball player at LaGrange High School, but poor grades and a lack of interest from college scouts led him to take the junior college route.

“I knew I had to go to JUCO if I wanted to get where I wanted to be,” Smith said. “I originally committed to Garden City Community College, then I decommitted a week later when I got to Hutchinson Community College and they offered.”

During his time in Hutchinson, Kansas, Smith was able to learn from and surround himself with some elite-level talent — most notably current University of Alabama wide receiver Malik Benson, who was the unanimous top-ranked junior college recruit in the country in 2022.

“I noticed when I committed to Hutch that we had the No. 1 JUCO receiver there, and I wanted to learn from him,” Smith said. “He had offers from Alabama and Tennessee, and I wanted to go learn from them guys and be around them. When I got there, they took me under their wing and taught me everything I needed to know.”

Following two years of invaluable mentorship and development, Smith began to generate a buzz across the college recruiting landscape. Then, in September of 2023, Smith and his teammates had just finished practice when an unexpected visitor approached him out of the blue.

“Coach Berb (Luke Berblinger), he's from Hutch, so he was there at that practice,” Smith said. “And I guess I had a great practice, like during one-on-ones and just catching a lot of balls and stuff, and he liked it. After practice he gave me an offer.”

Berblinger, now the SEMO tight ends coach who was the program’s recruiting coordinator at the time, and the Redhawks coaching staff had found themselves a diamond in the rough. According to second-year wide receivers coach Desmond Noird, it was Smith’s raw athleticism and intangibles that made him jump out.

“Coach Berb did a good job finding him and brought him to us,” Noird said. “I really loved how he ran. He’s a big, long guy. You don't really see a lot of guys that can run like him. Really good ball skills. Can catch the ball well and get up. He’s an athlete and was a really good basketball player as well. Getting to know him, he was a hard worker and wanted to be good. So, just very blessed and pleased where he's at.”

In what is a talented, yet crowded SEMO receiving room, Smith currently ranks third on the team in receptions (32) and receiving yards (425) in his first year at the Division 1 level. After never eclipsing the 100-yard receiving mark in a single game at Hutchinson CC, the JUCO product has already done so twice this season in wins over Southern Illinois and Eastern Illinois. Along with his game-changing forced fumble on the Tennessee Tech runback, Smith caught six passes for 96 yards and a touchdown against the Golden Eagles this past Saturday.

SEMO wide receiver Tristan Smith tries to shed a Tennessee Tech defender on Saturday, Oct. 12. (Kaiden Karper ~ kkarper@semoball.com)

Now an integral part of SEMO’s high-octane passing attack, Smith’s rise to stardom has been an interesting one, but it’s his origins story of his growth in Hutchinson and, according to Noird, infectious personality that gets to the core of what makes him special.

“He’s probably the most unique personality in my room,” Noird said. “He loves to talk, loves to make people laugh. He’s really the life of the receiver room, honestly. So, he brings good energy. The guys like him, team likes him, and he's a great addition to the room.”

But for as impressive as the LaGrange product has been, Smith said that people “should be surprised” about his breakthrough campaign.

“This is my really first year doing something in college,” he said. “I’ve been in college two years before this and didn't really have the numbers or stats, so they should be surprised. I just hope they like watching me do my thing.”

However, to an individual like Smith, it’s not the stats or touchdown celebrations that he prioritizes the most. As his No. 8 SEMO Redhawks look to extend their five-game winning streak this Saturday, Oct. 19 at Charleston Southern, the transfer wideout is only concerned about doing what it takes to help the team continue climbing to the top.

“I like winning,” Smith said. “When I was at Hutch, we were No. 1 and I lost two games in two years. So, I feel like I don't like when people repost the ‘No. 8’ ranking in the polls and stuff. I don't like that. I want to be No. 1 because I'm so used to being No. 1 every week.”