Football: Memphis DB Transfer Cameron Smith commits to TCU.
The Horned Frogs wrapped up a busy Saturday with a third defensive back addition.
TCU football had a great Saturday in the transfer portal, with former Memphis safety Cameron Smith being the third player to commit to the Horned Frogs on social media during the day. Smith played in 31 games for the Tigers over three years, totaling 74 tackles, 10 passes defensed, and three interceptions. Smith’s greatest season came in 2023, when he tallied 57 tackles, nine passes defensed, and three interceptions in 13 appearances
The 6-foot, 180-pounder from Whiteville, North Carolina is the Horned Frogs’ second safety transfer this summer, following former Tulsa defensive back Jaise Oliver. Smith will battle for the starting safety position at TCU this season, as the Horned Frogs look to replace starters Mark Perry and Millard Bradford. TCU also lost several safeties, including Randon Fontenette, Chace Biddle, and Javeon Wilcox, via the transfer site.
READ MORE: Canadian linebacker Geoff Cantin-Arku prepares for the 2024 NFL draft.
Canadian linebacker Geoff Cantin-Arku prepares for the 2024 NFL draft.
Canadian Cantin-Arku has eyes fixed on the NFL draft.
Geoff Cantin-Arku, a Canadian, is now beginning his main work.
The 25-year-old Levis, Que. native is in Nashville, Tenn., training for the Memphis Tigers’ pro day in late March or early April. That will be a significant audition for Cantin-Arku ahead of the 2024 NFL draft, which takes place on April 25-27.
“That’s all it’s about,” said the charming Cantin-Arku. “It’s about making sure I’m in the best shape of my life and prepared to (ball) out on pro day.
Last year, all 32 NFL teams came to Memphis’ pro day.
“I want to show that I can be a dominant linebacker at any level,” Cantin-Arku stated. “I will always make my way there like I always have.”
The six-foot-four, 235-pound linebacker could have stayed at Memphis for one more season. However, after five seasons at two American universities (Syracuse and Memphis), Cantin-Arku feels prepared to pursue his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL.
“We know we have a long road ahead but we know it’s going to be a successful one,” he told reporters.
“I’m just so thankful for the opportunity to play for two great programs.”
Cantin-Arku was a major contributor for Memphis, who finished 10-3 with a 36-26 Liberty Bowl victory over Iowa State on December 29. The Tigers limited the Cyclones to nil rushing yards on 20 attempts, with Cantin-Arku recording seven tackles (five solo and two for loss).
Iowa State finished the regular season with 258 running yards in a 42-35 win over No. 18 Kansas State on November 25. However, before the Liberty Bowl, Memphis moved linebacker coach Jordan Hankins to defensive coordinator after incumbent Matt Barnes left for Mississippi State.
“I feel like that was the best thing that happened to the Memphis program in a long time because (Hankins) plays an aggressive defence,” Cantin-Arku said in a statement. “He ran a 3-3-5 scheme that Iowa State did not expect.
“They were bigger than us and tried to run the ball down our throat but we didn’t let it happen because we were ready for it.”
It was a fitting finale to Cantin-Arku’s excellent Memphis career, since he is a 2023 Cornish Trophy finalist as Canada’s top NCAA player. Last season, the redshirt senior finished second in tackles (79, 41 solo, 4.5 for loss), with a sack, interception, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and a blocked kick.
In 25 career games, he recorded 144 tackles (76 solo, seven for loss), two sacks, an interception, two forced fumbles, a recovery, and a blocked kick.
Cantin-Arku spent his first three collegiate seasons at Syracuse, where he had 108 total tackles (79 solo, 10 for loss), five sacks, three forced fumbles, and recovered a fumble in 30 games. He began as a sophomore but chose the transfer portal after platooning as a junior.
“I went to Syracuse with one goal in mind: to get to the NFL,” Cantin-Arku said. “In my junior year, I started splitting reps… you might think it’s not too bad, but that wasn’t why I got there.
I went there to be a leader, to be the best, and I know I can’t do it unless I’m on the field.
During Cantin-Arku’s two seasons at Memphis, the team produced winning records each year and won two bowl championships. Furthermore, he completed his college career as a key member of one of the most successful teams in school history.
Cantin-Arku has clearly come a long way. He did not speak English when he left Quebec and worked hard to learn it while at Syracuse, with the support of teammate Matthew Bergeron, an offensive lineman from Bromont, Quebec.
Cantin-Arku stated that Matthew spoke English slightly better than she did. “It was difficult, especially for someone who only spoke French, but you have to go through it.
“Having Matthew there to help me was a blessing. He has been a great assistance to me during my trip.
And that continues now, as Bergeron has just finished his rookie season with the Atlanta Falcons.
Cantin-Arku believes his greatest strength as a player is his ability to lead, both on the team and on defense, which he stated he did as a sophomore at Syracuse despite not being proficient in English. Cantin-Arku stated that while he is constantly working on aspects of his on-field game, the most crucial is to always believe what he sees.
“When my eyes are right, I believe I can be one of the greatest linebackers in this country at this point,” he went on to say. “When I don’t trust my eyes and don’t do the tiny things, I don’t perform well.
“I can’t play my best football when my eyes aren’t clear.
Cantin-Arku believes he has a strong work ethic, which he received from his mother, Nancy Cantin. Cantin-Arku lost his father when he was young, and he claims his mother was always willing to make sacrifices for her family.
“She is incredible,” he said. “This is a difficult path, but I want everyone to know that yes, it is achievable.
“You just have to be willing to put in the work.”
Growing up, Cantin-Arku’s favorite sport was hockey. However, when his financial obligations began to mount, he turned to football.
“It was the best thing that could’ve happened to me,” he told me.
While Memphis’ pro day seems long away, Cantin-Arku says he’s fine with it.
“I’ve been focused for years now, so two months is nothing to me,” he remarked with a laugh.
This item from The Canadian Press was first published on January 10, 2024.
