Former West Virginia Safety Tykee Smith Out for the Season with Torn ACL

Georgia junior defensive back Tykee Smith has had an injury-plagued start to his career with the Bulldogs, and now he’ll miss the rest of his junior season with a torn ACL, DawgsHQ’s Palmer Thombs reported.

Smith, a West Virginia transfer, had been unable to play to a foot injury until making an appearance in Georgia’s game against Auburn last week — recording three tackles in his Bulldogs’s debut. According to Thombs’ report, Smith tore his ACL at practice this week.

BREAKING: #UGA down another defensive back, as transfer Tykee Smith has torn his ACL and is done for the year:https://t.co/UdWMtmwrGT

— DawgsHQ (@DawgsHq) October 15, 2021

Smith was expecting to be a key piece in one of the best defenses in the nation this season, occupying a starting role in Georgia’s secondary. With the ACL repair surgery, he will not see the field until next season now.

A two-year starter at WVU, Smith was an All-America to some degree in both seasons, earning freshman All-American honors in 2019 and All-American honors from a variety of voters in 2020. He recorded 114 tackles (69 solo), 10.5 tackles for loss, one sack, 13 passes defended and four interceptions in two seasons with the Mountaineers.

As a sophomore, he recorded 61 tackles (33 solo), eight tackles for loss, seven passes defended and two interceptions in 10 games.