Keidron Smith Brings Leadership, Experience to Kentucky

Keidron Smith Brings Leadership, Experience to Kentucky Football

There's been many questions asked of Kentucky Football's secondary ahead of the 2022 season, but Ole Miss transfer Keidron Smith is prepared to provide some answers on the field. 

After spending four seasons in Oxford, the senior decided it was time for a fresh start, and Lexington was deemed the perfect place to do so. The West Palm Beach, Florida native is already reaping the benefits of his change of scenery. 

"The major difference is how player led (Kentucky) is, with every leader in each group," Smith said. "It really brings a level of maturity on the players to know what they're doing on the field so the coaches don't have to do too much." 

Leadership and experience is something that Smith brings by the bucket load. He saw the field on a regular basis all four years at Ole Miss, playing 45 games, racking up 224 total tackles (131 solo), five interceptions, five forced fumbles and 19 pass deflections. 

While the numbers speak for themselves on the gridiron, Smith also carries a track-record of leadership off the field. He was a recipient of the Chucky Mullins Courage Award at Ole Miss. The award is given to the Rebel defender that embodies the "courage, leadership, perseverance and determination" of Mullins, a former player who was paralyzed in a game against Vanderbilt in 1989. 

"Keidron has provided tremendous leadership and dedication for our program," Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin said of the cornerback. 

Smith is finding it quite easy to carry that same mentality at Kentucky: 

"I'm just here to add a leadership role and make plays with these guys. It's a talented group, i'm looking forward to playing on Saturday's," he said. "Just being yourself you always learn something new. I'm just being myself and helping them in ways that I can." 

The presence of Smith is already rubbing off on teammates in the secondary, even players like Jalen Geiger, who have been in and around the program for years. 

"Coming in, he was real comfortable," Geiger said of Smith. "You can tell he's got that SEC in him already, he's got that experience and came in making plays off the rip.

Despite spending the last four years seven hours south of the Bluegrass, Smith's ties to the UK program haven't always been that far off. Head coach Mark Stoops recruited the 6-foot-2, 204-pounder out of Oxbridge Academy (Fla.), and while he didn't select the Wildcats back in 2018, he always kept an eye on what was being built in Lexington. 

"I always followed Kentucky through high school and college, so seeing the improvement of the program from 2018 to now is huge," Smith said. "With (UK) having a history of one-year transfers and how they've had success with those guys and helping them prepare for the NFL, that was a big factor, but also being apart of a good defense like this was a true factor." 

That Rebel connection is still around, however. Smith's old roommate upon his arrival to Oxford was fellow Ole Miss transfer Jacquez Jones, someone who was quick to reach out when he heard that his former teammate was in the transfer portal. 

"(Jones) was the first one to contact me, then the coaches, but I took that on the mature level, not too much of a friendship level when coming here and making sure it was the right fit for me," he said. 

The importance of Smith to the DB's room can't be understated. UK's secondary had a big target on its back at times towards the end of the 2021 season, and while there are returning pieces ready to take the next step like Geiger and Carrington Valentine, a new, experienced playmaker could be what defensive coordinator Brad White's group needs to avoid as many big plays from occurring past the line of scrimmage. 

There's been competition amongst the group in fighting for starting jobs on week one against Miami (OH) on Sept. 3. There's no doubt, however, that Big Blue Nation will see Smith on the field as a member of the first team, an opportunity that he's ready to relish in. When asked what makes him a difference maker, Smith put it simply: 

'Having that confidence going on the field that you're the number one corner out there and just being a playmaker, how you communicate with your teammates, being a leader, all of those characteristics."