Jacksonville State University Athletics

JAX STATE CAREER
2024: Played in seven games...Rushed for 175 yards and three touchdowns...Passed for 123 yards...Started season opener against Coastal Carolina (8/29_ with eight carries for 17 yards and completed 7-of-13 passes for 61 yards...Had a 72-yard touchdown run in win over NM State (10/9)...Completed 4-of-6 passes for 62 yards and had five carries for 32 yards and a score in regular season finale at Western Kentucky (11/30)...Added a touchdown run in Conference USA Championship win over WKU (12/6).

2023: Appeared in all 13 games for Jax State in his first season after transferring from Nebraska a and started at the quarterback position four times … made his Gamecock debut in the season opener against UTEP and made his first start the next week against East Tennessee State … was 60-for-108 passing for 655 yards with six touchdowns and three interceptions, while running for 283 yards and six touchdowns on 75 carries … six touchdowns were third on the Gamecocks … named the CUSA Offensive Player of the Week after coming off of the bench to lead Jax State to an overtime win at Sam Houston, throwing for 197 yards and three scores on 16-of-28 passing … ran for 118 yards and a score on 18 carries in the win over Eastern Michigan … finished the year with 322 net rushing yards, good enough for fifth on the team … his seven rushing touchdowns were tied for most … threw for 735 yards and six touchdowns … threw six completions for 80 yards and for 39 yards and a touchdown in Jax State’s New Orleans Bowl victory over Louisiana.

PRIOR TO JAX STATE:  Spent three seasons at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln, Neb., where he played for head coach Scott Frost… saw playing time in six games as a freshman in 2021, completing 23-of-33 passes for 317 yards and rushing 37 times for 133 yards and two touchdowns...earned the start against No. 17 Iowa in the 2021 season finale…was 16-of-22 passing for 198 yards and led the Cornhuskers with 24 carries for 64 yards and two rushing touchdowns…24 carries were the most by a Nebraska quarterback since Jammal Lord against Texas A&M in 2002…played in five games in 2022 as a sophomore and completed 10 of his 19 pass attempts for 96 yards while rushing 12 times for 28 yards…did not play during the Covid Season in 2020.

HIGH SCHOOL: Played his senior season at Muscle Schoals High School after his father, Shane, became the Trojans’ offensive coordinator…spent his first three years at Athens High School…was tabbed a four-star recruit, the nation’s No. 171 overall recruit, and the No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the country by Rivals…ranked among the top-15 dual-threat quarterbacks nationally by the 247Sports Composite…as a senior, led MSHS to a 12-1 record by passing for over 2,000 yards and 27 touchdowns while rushing for more than 800 yards and 13 scores…was a Class 6A Second-Team All-State selection and earned All-State Honorable Mention honors regardless of class…participated in the Alabama-Mississippi All-Star Game…passed for 7,000 yards and accounted for 60 touchdowns in three years at Athens High…also ran track at Athens, finishing fourth in the 400-meter dash at the 2019 Alabama State Indoor State Championships with a personal-best time of 51.34…had a top-10 finish in the 60-meter dash as well. 

PERSONAL: Born on Oct. 12, 2000…the son of Amy and Shane Smothers…earned a Bachelor of Science in Child, Youth, and Family Studies from the University of Nebraska in May 2023.