Toward the end of the SMU Mustangs’ spring workouts, some players missed part of practice because of class conflicts. When defensive coordinator Tom Mason found himself in need of another inside linebacker, he called on Braden Smith.

Smith, the former quarterback from Rockwall, had just moved to safety in the spring, and according to teammates, was making significant progress picking up his new position. Coaches and teammates alike rave about Smith’s football acumen, and said his understanding of the game helped him make the shift from quarterback to the secondary.

After moving to safety for spring workouts, Braden Smith is now moving to inside linebacker (photo by Travis Johnston).

But Smith’s career as a safety appears to be over almost before it started. When he stepped in at linebacker, Mason liked what he saw.

“Coach Mason said it kind of fit me, the kind of player I am,” Smith said. “He put me at the MIKE spot, where you don’t have to be huge. Chase Kennemer was listed at what, 220 [actually 215] pounds? He wasn’t that big. But he ran well, and played fast. Coach Mason said he liked the way I can go sideline to sideline, and the way I cover.”

Smith said the notion that middle linebackers have to be huge, rabid animals is a misconception, especially for teams playing in Conference USA.

“With the conference as it is, it’s not like we see a lot of teams that just run the ball at you — it’s not a smashmouth league,” he said. “We see the Houstons, the Tulsas — teams that are going to throw the ball 50 times a game.”

With Kennemer’s departure, sophomore-to-be Taylor Reed is expected to start at the MIKE linebacker spot. But the Mustangs are thin at the spot, which helped prompt Mason’s decision to slide Smith forward from safety. But before he can take the field, Smith said he needs to prepare for the physical rigors that await him at his new position.

“The biggest thing for me, between now and August, is to focus on lower-body strength,” he said. “I have to get ready to take on an offensive lineman, or an offensive lineman and then a running back. It’s not so much that I need to get bigger, but I do need to get stronger.”

To that end, Smith has added five pounds since last season — he says he now weighs 205 — and he said Mason wants Smith to get up to 210 or 215 pounds. He’s lifting more weights with his legs and has changed his diet.

“I’m eating a lot of lean foods, but just more of it,” he said. “I’m pretty strict about eating every few hours, whether it’s a meal or a snack. Five to 10 pounds isn’t that much. I can add that.”

As he makes the transition to his new position, Smith will begin working with a position coach who is the polar opposite of his first position coach. Quarterbacks coach Dan Morrison is a quiet, cerebral teacher who holds lengthy discussions with his players, whereas calling linebackers coach Joe Haering “colorful” would be putting it mildly.

“Coach Morrison is pretty quiet — you know that he’s going to just talk to you, whether you made a great play or screwed up,” Smith said. “Coach Haering … you know he’s going to be yelling non-stop, whether he’s cussing you or praising you.

“But there are many different ways to play, just like there are many different ways to coach. The biggest thing, as a player, is just to understand what it is they want you to do.”

Smith agreed that there is such thing as a “linebacker mentality,” but he said he’s not sure he doesn’t already have one, at least to a degree.

“They used to say things like that when I was in high school, because of the way I ran the ball,” he said. “But it’s different when you square up on someone and have to hit them.

“I think I’ll be OK there — I already like hitting people.”