On Saturday, Dec. 11, FAU cornerback Korel Smith declared in a tweet his intentions to enter the 2022 NFL Draft. In the photo of the tweet, he gave thanks to God, his family, his coaches, and Owl Nation, along with making the announcement.

Smith began his life in Jacksonville, Fla. He went to Miramar High School where he won the team’s defensive back MVP honors at the opening regionals. He was listed among the Miami Herald’s Top-50 in the 2016 class and was rated a three-star recruit.

Smith spent five seasons at FAU. He was a cornerback on the FAU football team from his freshman year until his final season as a redshirt senior, which allowed him to play in 49 games total.

In his final season, he got 45 tackles, two sacks, one forced fumble, three interceptions, and six deflected passes. Smith made a career-high nine tackles when the team faced off against the University of Florida, ranked 13th in the country at the time, in the season opener back in September.

Throughout his career with the Owls, he totaled 111 tackles, nine deflected passes, four sacks, four interceptions, and one forced fumble. 

The 2022 NFL Draft will be held from April 28 through April 30 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nev., and it will be broadcast on ESPN.

Angel Rassi is a staff writer for the University Press. For information regarding this or other stories, email [email protected] or tweet him @arassi2000.