ATHENS, Ga. -- Ty Smith made a name for himself as a college prospect by excelling as a hybrid tight end in a pass-based spread offense. His high school coach believes the chance to play a similar role at Georgia was one of the deciding factors in Smith's signing with the Bulldogs.
"I think he thinks Georgia might be trying to change a little bit," said Rush Propst, Smith's coach at Colquitt County High School in Moultrie, Ga. "Don't get me wrong, as long as Mark [Richt] is there, they're going to want to run the football and all that kind of stuff, but I think Georgia will line up and throw more in the next two or three years than they ever have in the past nine or 10."
Last year the Bulldogs moved toward the fast-paced style Propst's Packers employ, running the ninth-most plays in all of FBS after introducing a no-huddle offense. It's a style that suits Smith perfectly, as he caught 88 passes for 1,361 yards in his final two seasons in high school.