Texas A&M WR Ainias Smith Shines For Philadelphia Eagles In Preseason vs. Browns

As Week Two of the NFL preseason has wrapped up, Ainias Smith had a great game with the Eagles during his second season of professional football. Although the Eagles lost against the Browns on Saturday, Smith played an excellent game at wide receiver.

In Saturday's matchup against the Browns, the Eagles took a 22-13 loss, but it wasn't before an explosive Smith touchdown that came late in the second quarter. Smith's touchdown gave the Eagles their one and only lead of the evening.

Smith was able to lead the Eagles in receiving yards on Saturday with 19 yards off of two receptions, averaging 9.5 yards per reception. In 2024, Smith played in seven games with Philadelphia has he recording seven receptions off of nine targets, as well as recording his first NFL touchdown against the New York Giants.

How Did He Get Here?

Like many professional athletes, Smith started as a college football player, playing for Texas A&M University starting in 2019. Smith took all five years of eligibility, including a graduate year, as he shone on the offense for the Aggies.

Smith ended his college career as the only 2,000-yard receiver in Southeastern Conference history to tally at least 250 rushing, punt return, and kickoff return yards. He also ranked No. 4 in program history in career receptions with 180. Safe to say, he was a dominant factor on the offense for the Aggies.

During his five-year career at Texas A&M, Smith played in 50 games with the Aggies, only playing in four his senior season, which was cut short due to a season-ending injury. In 2020, Smith was quick on his feet, recording 293 rushing yards, including four rushing touchdowns.

On the receiving side of things, Smith ended his career with 2407 receiving yards, with 795 of them coming in 2023 during his graduate season. He was also able to add 19 receiving touchdowns to his impressive career resume at Texas A&M.

After the Aggies season wrapped up in 2023 with a loss to Oklahoma State in the TaxAct Texas Bowl, Smith had already declared for the 2023 NFL Draft. He was picked up in the fifth round as the overall 152nd pick to the Philadelphia Eagles, where he spent his rookie season.

The Eagles wrap up their preseason slate against the New York Jets on Friday, August 22 before the real action begins against the Cowboys in early September.