One of the reasons for the vast improvement of the SMU Mustangs’ defense in 2009 was the improved performance in the secondary. For much of the season, the Ponies were among the nation’s leaders in takeaways, and specifically, interceptions.

But the Ponies lost the players responsible for eight of their 17 interceptions from last year with the graduation of cornerback Bryan McCann, who had three, and strong safety Rock Dennis, who had five — one of which he returned for a touchdown against East Carolina.

Ryan Smith and secondary coach Derrick Odum both said Smith's background as a cornerback should help him when it comes to making interceptions at strong safety (photo by Webmaster).

Dennis emerged in his final season as one of the leaders of the SMU secondary, and the defense overall. Replacing him has become one of the most crucial questions as the Mustangs go through spring drills with an eye on next season’s opener at Texas Tech.

Thus far in spring workouts, Ryan Smith, who will be a sophomore in the fall, has been working with the first-team defense, but the job is far from his. As is the case during much of the season, there is little to no hitting going on this spring; instead, players are running through individual position drills, and merely wrapping up their man in seven-on-seven and 11-on-11 until a whistle blows. Smith is being pushed this spring by Jay Scott, who will be a redshirt freshman in the fall, and a third contestant — junior college transfer Justin Sorrell — will enter the competition during preseason workouts in August.

For now, though, Smith is running with the first team. Whether or not he can hold off Scott and Sorrell will depend in large part on whether he can make the nuances of the position second nature.

“I’m starting to get comfortable,” Smith said. “I came in as a cornerback, so the switch means learning a lot of material. But I’m getting there.

“I’m not going to get complacent — the spot isn’t mine yet. Jay is really good, and they signed a (Sorrell), too, and he’s supposed to be really good. Nothing is even close to being decided.”

Secondary coach Derrick Odum said that while there is a learning curve for Smith at his new position, his background as a cornerback should help him in coverage and in making interceptions. Smith agreed.

“Playing cornerback will help me at safety. It helps me know our defense from different positions. I have that skill set to play corner — you know, backpedaling, covering — and those things will make me a better safety.

“I grew up catching the ball. My dad (Anthony) played here, and my brother (Bencil) played at Rice. He started as a cornerback, and they moved him to safety, too.”

Since his arrival at SMU, Smith has strapped 25 pounds on his frame. At 5-foot-11, he stands two inches shorter than Scott, but at 195 pounds, he is thicker. That, Smith said, allows him to be more physical as he moves from corner to safety.

“I’m pretty long for my size, but Jay’s got at least an inch on me, maybe a little more,” Smith said. “I’ve got to work with what God blessed me with. I took pride in being a physical corner; now I’m going to take pride in being a physical safety.

“I’m about 195. I was 170 when I got here. My redshirt year, I did a lot of development. (Free safety Chris) Banjo was my roommate — we love lifting weights.”

Since his arrival at SMU, head coach June Jones has preached the ideas of closeness among teammates, the need for players to love and trust each other, and the need for players to treat their team like a large family. Despite the fact that they are competing for time at the same position, that is exactly the kind of relationship Smith said he and Scott enjoy, and they expect to share with Sorrell when he arrives on the Hilltop.

“Jay is like my little brother — we’re both from Houston,” Smith said. “We want each other to do well, and (Sorrell) is supposed to be really good, too — a headhunter.

“God willing, against Texas Tech, we’ll all get a chance to get out there on the field.”