Stampeding Through the 2025 USF Football Roster: #19 WR JeyQuan Smith

PLAYER: JeyQuan Smith

POSITION: Wide receiver

YEAR: Redshirt sophomore

HEIGHT/WEIGHT: 5’10”, 185 lbs.

HOW DID HE GET HERE? Smith was originally from Florida, but made a name for himself outside of Los Angeles at Cajon High School in San Bernardino. He played both running back and receiver and was excellent at both, but his real eye-popping numbers came on the track, where he was one of the fastest high school runners in the state of California in the 100 and 200 meters. In football terms, he supposedly was clocked at a 4.38 40.

Understandably, he was very in demand as a recruit. The recruiting services gave him a high three-star rating, and his offer list included the likes of Oregon, Penn State, and Texas A&M. USF swooped in relatively late in the process, getting him on an official visit to campus in January 2023, just a month before Regular Ol’ Signing Day. But it was enough, and he signed with the Bulls over finalists Utah and Washington.

Smith’s true freshman season was quiet - he appeared in only two games and took a redshirt year (though it must be noted that he had a great year for the Bulls’ track team). Still, I get the sense that Smith quickly became a favorite among USF fans. It’s easy to see why. He’s got electric speed, was a big recruiting get, and is an absolute menace in EA College Football 25.

HOW WAS HIS 2024 SEASON? A solid step forward. He started out mainly playing on special teams (and let me tell you - he was a heatseeking missile on kick coverage), but around the halfway mark in the season, Alex Golesh decided to unleash Smith in the receiver rotation, and the results were pretty fun. Smith’s numbers were modest, but the Bulls were very clearly looking for ways to use him as a deep threat. He was often lined up out wide and given the chance to just flat-out outrun defensive backs. After a few missed connections, Smith got under one against Navy and gave Bulls fans a glimpse of what he could do (check it out at the 8:06 mark below). He also took a screen pass for 37 yards earlier in the game (0:42).

The Navy game was his best outing, but he was very much in the mix at receiver throughout the second half of the season. He appeared in all 13 games, starting three, and caught six passes for 106 yards. Per PFF, 38% of his targets were 20 or more yards beyond the line of scrimmage; this was by far the highest rate on the team. He saw about 84% of his snaps out wide (as opposed to in the slot).

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IN 2025? It feels like Golesh and company were trying to make Smith into a gamebreaker in 2024, but the Bulls’ herky-jerky passing attack just couldn’t break many games. With Byrum Brown back in the saddle, there’s hope that the Bulls can return to their gunslinging ways this season, and no one would be a bigger beneficiary of a rejuvenated deep passing game than JeyQuan Smith.

The Bulls’ depth chart at receiver is still in flux, with the legendary Sean Atkins departing, Jaden Alexis returning from a season-long injury, and three promising transfers joining the room. I don’t think Smith is going to be opening the season as a starter, but the signs are definitely pointing up for him: he shined in the spring game and seems to be focusing on football full-time now (he didn’t run for the Bulls’ track team this spring). He also got reps at punt returner in the spring, so USF seems to be trying to get the ball in his hands. We’ll see if that continues once toe hits leather in the fall.