Arian Smith
Arian Ryshaun Smith is an American professional football wide receiver for the New York Jets of the National Football League. He played college football for the Georgia Bulldogs, winning two national championships. Smith was selected by the Jets in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL draft.
Early life
Smith first attended Mulberry High School in Mulberry, Florida, where he played football and track and field. In 2018, Smith set the farthest long jump in the country, jumping 25–03.25. While playing for Mulberry, Smith played running back, quarterback, wide receiver, and defensive back for the football team. In his junior year, Smith won a gold medal at the 2019 Pan American U20 Athletics Championships with Justin Ofotan, Marcellus Moore, and Matthew Boling for the United States in the 4x100m relay. Before his senior year of high school, Smith transferred to Lakeland [Senior High School (Florida)|Lakeland High School] in Lakeland, Florida, continuing to play football and track and field. Smith primarily played wide receiver for Lakeland and was selected to participate in the 2020 Under Armour All-American game. Ranked as a four-star recruit by ESPN, Smith received offers from many colleges, ultimately committing to play college football for the University of Georgia over Alabama.
College career
Track and field
Smith initially continued to play both football and track and field for Georgia. In 2021, Arian was named a first-team All-American for track and field, also qualifying for the SEC Championship for his time in the 100-meter dash. In 2023, Smith announced he would continue solely on his football career and no longer compete in track and field.
American football
Smith redshirted his freshman year and played in the last four games of the 2020 season. His first catch was a 31-yard touchdown against 2020 [South Carolina Gamecocks football team|South Carolina]. The following year, Smith only played in four of fifteen games this season due to various injuries. He caught a 35-yard pass against 2021 [Missouri Tigers football team|Missouri] and a 67-yard pass against 2021 [UAB Blazers football team|UAB], both for touchdowns. In 2022, Smith again missed time due to injuries, missing the season's first four games recovering from surgery for a high ankle sprain received in practice. In the Peach Bowl, Smith had a season-high 129 receiving yards in the game, including a career-long 76-yard catch for a touchdown in a win against 2022 [Ohio State Buckeyes football|Ohio State]. Smith played in all fourteen games the following season, scoring a touchdown against UAB Blazers football team|UAB] and one against 2023 [Florida State Seminoles football team|Florida State] in the 2023 Orange Bowl. Using a granted extra year of eligibility, Smith returned to play for Georgia in 2024. In week 2, Smith caught a 50-yard pass for a touchdown against 2024 [Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles football team|Tennessee Tech]. In week five, Smith had 132 yards and a touchdown in a loss against 2024 [Alabama Crimson Tide football team|Alabama]. In week 7, Smith had a career-high 134 yards, including a 55 yard touchdown, in a win against 2024 [Mississippi State Bulldogs football team|Mississippi State]. During the 2024 season, Smith had the most drops in the Power Four conferences with ten. Despite this, Smith led the Bulldogs in receiving yards with 817. After the 2024 season, Smith declared for the 2025 NFL draft.
Professional career
Smith was selected by the New York Jets in the fourth round, with the 110th overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft.