SMU head coach Sonny Dykes said during the spring that, as is the case every year, the coaching staff was toying with the idea of trying players at new positions. For example, former receivers Keke Burns and T.Q. Jackson found themselves lining up at linebacker and safety, respectively, and earned positive reviews for their transitions to new positions.

Another player who flipped to the opposite side of the ball is former offensive lineman Kadarius Smith, who bounced over to defense, where he began working at defensive tackle.

Former offensive tackle Kadarius Smith is flipping to the defensive line in 2021 (photo by Doug Fejer).

Smith, who already has graduated and is finishing a Master’s degree, did not play in 2020 while recovering from an injury, and has changed his physique — he was listed at 300 pounds on last year’s roster, but is visibly slimmer — to succeed at his new “4-I” position in the interior of the defensive line.

The idea to move to defense, Uzo-Diribe said, was a collaborative among Dykes, new defensive coordinator Jim Leavitt, offensive line coach A.J. Ricker and first-year defensive line coach Chidera Uzo-Diribe.

“(Smith) loved it,” Uzo-Diribe said. “It’s a fresh start for him. Last year didn’t end up on his terms, but he has been a joy to have. He has taken to the position and learned a lot.”

Part of the inspiration for the move was simply a numbers game — the offensive line, a thin spot when Dykes took over, now has 20 players listed on the roster, the vast majority of whom are scholarship players. But there are reasons Smith was nominated to switch to defense.

“We saw a guy with some twitch,” Uzo-Diribe said. “He’s a mature guy and very strong, but for a guy with his power, he’s pretty quick. He runs very well, he’s learning the techniques and fundamentals, and he really fits what we’re doing on defense.”

Uzo-Diribe said it is premature to speculate about how large a role Smith will play in the Mustangs’ defensive line rotation in 2021, but said Smith’s background on offense should help him in his transition to his new role.

“KD has a defensive mentality, and is aggressive in the way he comes off the ball, with explosive twitch and power,” Uzo-Diribe said. “But he’s a very smart player, and he knows what the offensive line is trying to accomplish, what blocks to expect … because it wasn’t that long ago that he was doing those blocks himself. That has helped him pick things up, because he really understands both sides.”