He landed in D-II after high school. Why Columbia's Vyncint Smith is now on NFL radar

Vyncint Smith’s draft stock is peaking at the right time.

With a little more than week to go before the NFL draft on April 26-28, the former Westwood standout is on the radar of teams in the league. Smith had a top 30 visit with the New York Jets last week and met with the Houston Texans on Tuesday.

Smith, who played at Division II Limestone College, turned heads last month when he ran a 4.36 40-yard dash at South Carolina’s Pro Day in front of various NFL personnel, including New England coach Bill Belichick.

“He came up and introduced himself to me, and I was like, 'I know who you are,'” Smith said last week during a break from running routes at Westwood High School. “I have been enjoying the whole process. I want to be perfect on every rep. That is what I will strive for. But if I mess up, I get back out there and do it again.

“The whole process has not been too stressful. You have some nerves, but you meet the people and remember they are people like you, so go have fun doing it.”

Since his showing at USC, phone calls and interest have been coming in fast and furious to Adam Seifer, his agent at Charlotte-based Premiere Athlete Advisors. Dallas, Detroit and Atlanta came up to Limestone to work him out and go through film study.

Smith also took part in a regional combine in Tampa, Fla., where he met with more teams and personnel.

“He was on teams' radars. He ran a 4.4 junior day last year, so I think they knew who he was,” Seifer said. “But since he ran at USC, it has really picked up beyond that. And now is the time you want to be peaking going into the draft.”

Scouts like Smith’s 6-foot-3 frame and speed, which he has been working on at Velocity in Charlotte. At USC's Pro Day, he also displayed his 39.5-inch vertical jump and a 10-foot-10 broad jump. The biggest question mark on Smith is the competition level he went up against in college, but he is eager to prove he belongs in the NFL.

Smith is projected as a mid-to-late round selection or, at worst, a priority free agent. Last year, six Division II players were taken in the NFL draft, up from three the previous season.

“I look at guys I played against like Keelan Cole at Kentucky Wesleyan (Division II school),” Smith said. “He didn’t get drafted and ended up starting the season for the Jaguars. I look at him and know I could do the same thing and be a reliable person in the NFL and make plays.

"My ceiling is really high. I'm not raw but I'm not polished. Me being from a small school, I have a lot more to learn to take my game to the next level."

Smith got his start in the sport playing flag football in the sixth grade on a military base in Leavenworth, Kan., where his dad was stationed. Vernon Smith was a drill sergeant, and the family moved frequently. Vyncint was born in Germany and lived in Kansas, Georgia and two stints in South Carolina growing up.

Smith’s family returned to South Carolina when he was in middle school. He was cut from his middle school team in the eighth grade but played JV and varsity the next three years at Blythewood before moving to Westwood when it started varsity football in 2013. As a senior, Smith caught 31 passes for 503 yards and three scores despite the Redhawks’ run-dominated offense.

“He was never selfish. When we would be running the ball and not throwing, he would never complain about not getting enough touches,” said Rodney Summers, Smith’s coach at Westwood who is now at May River. “He worked hard in the weight room and had great work ethic.”

Smith didn’t get a ton of interest coming out of high school. His dream was to play at South Carolina, which wanted him as a walk-on. He had interest from FCS programs and offers from Division II schools Tusculum and Limestone, which was starting a program.

“Sometimes they overlook guys. But it got him motivated,” Summers said. “He is going to prove to people he could go make it at a smaller school. That is what is driving him.”

Smith said getting passed over by bigger schools was motivation for him, and he proved that during his time at Limestone.

Smith got on the field right away for the Saints and played his final two seasons under Mike Furrey, who played in the NFL for three teams. He credits Furrey, who became the receivers coach for the Bears in January, with helping his development on the field and also reading various coverages.

At Limestone, he caught 153 passes for 2,371 yards and 11 TDs. This season, he set career highs in receptions (49) and yards (849) and was a second-team all-conference selection.

“He wanted us to be like any Division I receiver out there and challenged us,” Smith said. “He helped me tremendously, breaking down film and defenses. He went through all the defenses so we would see those coverages in the game we would be able to change our routes out there.

“That definitely impresses the scouts when I can explain all that in a play.”

This story was originally published April 17, 2018 at 4:12 PM with the headline "He landed in D-II after high school. Why Columbia's Vyncint Smith is now on NFL radar."