Maason Smith: Jaguars' Matt House 'Always Kept It Real With Me'

Jaguars inside linebackers coach Matt House has a special insight into second-round defensive tackle Maason Smith.

Feb 28, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Louisiana State defensive lineman Maason Smith (DL24) talks to / Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports

Maason Smith came into his sophomore season with high hopes, after being named a Freshman All-SEC Selection and FWAA  All-American. Before attending LSU, Rivals named him the nation's top high school defensive line prospect.

 In an instant, his path to the NFL appeared to be in jeopardy. Smith suffered a bizarre season-ending ACL injury while celebrating in LSU’s season opener.

In 2023, he bounced back with the best season of his collegiate career. He finished with 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks. Although he is encouraged to have returned from his ACL tear, Smith still feels that his best football is ahead of him. 

“I never really felt the way I was supposed to feel until later on in the season. I didn’t feel one hundred percent myself. I think I elevated my game and felt a lot better than I did at the beginning weeks of the year.” said Smith. 

Smith will be around some familiar faces in Jacksonville. The Jaguars drafted two of his college teammates, Brian Thomas Jr and Jordan Jefferson. His former defensive coordinator at LSU, Matt House, will be joining the Jaguars staff as a linebackers coach this season.

“He’s always kept it real with me, I love to have him in my corner again and I’m grateful for it. I’m probably going to get on the phone with him after this because that’s my guy. Playing with the whole family, his sons, his daughter, Miss Jess, they always just allowed me and showed me open arms when I came to their home and everything.” said Smith.

At the 2024 NFL Combine, Smith measured in at 6 foot 5 and 306 pounds. He ran the 40 yard dash in 5.01 seconds and completed the 20 yard shuttle in 4.69 seconds. 

As he continues to recover from his ACL injury, the former Tiger should have the chance to make an immediate impact on the Jaguars top-heavy defensive line. 

“I definitely will say this is the best I’ve felt since my knee injury. I felt like through the Pro Day and the combine testing and everything like that, people being able to see me move, I felt like it showed that I didn’t miss a beat.” said Smith.