From Culver City, California, to Wisconsin, Alexander Smith found a second home in Madison when he committed to UW. He developed into a solid cornerback too.
MADISON – So how did Alexander Smith find his way from Culver City, a short drive from the Santa Monica Pier and the Pacific Ocean, to the Wisconsin campus?
Smith wanted a change of scenery.
“At the beginning of my recruiting process,” the fifth-year senior cornerback said, “I was really looking to go somewhere else. I wanted to use this opportunity to be able to experience something else, a college outside of California.
“Just being in southern California my whole life, why not experience something new?”
Smith, who has been UW’s most consistent cornerback since returning from a hamstring injury that kept him out for the first six games of the season, is set to make his sixth consecutive start Tuesday in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl.
He did not burst onto the scene and grab a starting spot upon his arrival in 2018. Rather, he worked his way up the depth chart, gradually expanding his role until he became a dependable and versatile contributor.
“It’s been fun to see him get on campus and just grow and develop year in and year out,” outgoing defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. “He was behind some great players and he just fought through it, continued to push.
“He had somewhat of a role, maybe not the one that he wanted. It wasn’t as big as he would have liked but he stuck through it all.”
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Smith’s options coming out of Culver City High School were UW, Boston College, Idaho, Navy, Army and Cal Poly.
When he studied UW’s program and visited Madison, the decision was easy.
UW had finished 13-1 in 2017, Smith meshed well with Leonhard and found the campus and city of Madison inviting.
“Everyone was so welcoming and nice,” he said. “Walking down the street and people would talk to you. Coming from L.A. the whole vibe is so different. It is so fast-paced there, people just going and going and being rude.”
After arriving at UW in 2018, Smith slowly moved up the depth chart and is now an anchor in the Badgers' secondary
Smith played four games, mostly on special teams, in 2018, but became a key reserve in 2019 and played in all 14 games. He played in six of UW’s seven games in 2020 and then started two of 12 games in 2021. When spring practice closed last April, the coaches declared Smith was the team’s best and most versatile cornerback.
The hamstring injury suffered early in camp changed the trajectory of his 2022 season.
Smith didn't make his season debut until the double-overtime loss at Michigan State, though he was limited because he wasn’t in football shape.
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He moved into the starting lineup the next week against Purdue, however, and has been one of the anchors in the back end since then.
Smith will return in 2023 for final season at Wisconsin
UW next season must replace cornerbacks Jay Shaw, Justin Clark and Cedrick Dort Jr.
Smith announced late in the regular season he planned to return to UW for his final season in 2023. He likely will be the team’s most experienced cornerback.
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“The No. 1 thing I saw on his tape was his versatility,” Leonhard said. “He had the length. He had the twitch, the speed. You saw him on offense. You saw him on defense. You saw him returning kicks. He played physical. It was just a little bit of everything.
“And when you (combine) the skill set you saw on tape with who he is from a character standpoint, it was just a perfect fit. It was awesome to get him on campus.”
But?
“You never know -- you get players from outside the area -- how they’re going to respond,” Leonhard said. “You saw his eyes light up. He understood what Wisconsin was about and that’s why he didn’t take very long with his decision.”
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Alexander Smith steadily developed into Wisconsin's No. 1 cornerback
