ATHENS — Julio Humphrey considers himself one of the faster players on the Georgia football team.

But the speedy Georgia cornerback recognizes that wide receiver Arian Smith has an extra gear that no one on the team can get to.

“Arian, we’ve talked about racing, but he’s like a 10-flat guy,” Humphrey said. “I’ve seen him run track. I saw his freshman year against Matthew Boling. Arian’s a different fast dude.”

Smith has always been known for his speed. But his story at Georgia has also been told through injuries, missed games and in the case of the 2023 season, struggles with drops and confidence.

This spring, Smith seems to have left those issues in the dust. He had a standout performance in Georgia’s first scrimmage, using his speed to get behind the defense.

He’s been more consistent this spring, something that hasn’t been synonymous with his time at Georgia.

“I think we’ve made a concerted effort to spend more time on developing Arian,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said of Smith. “I think when he decided to come back, I said, ‘Look, I want there to be a purpose with you coming back. Like, where are the areas of growth?’”

You know the big plays Smith has made during his career at Georgia. The 3-reception, 129-yard game against Ohio State. His 54-yard reception in last year’s loss to Alabama. His speed helps Georgia create those explosive plays it so covets.

But Smith is also a special teams ace. His speed makes him an exceptional gunner on punt team, where he’ll race down the field to limit the opposing returner. Georgia did not allow a single punt return yard last season, thanks to Smith’s ability.

Smart knows Smith is a dominant special teams player. So this spring, they’ve focused on letting Smith work more as a wide receiver, knowing that come the fall he can help immensely on special teams.

“I think it’s helped him do that,” Smart said. “He’s had some plays that I think he’d be the first to tell you he wished he had back — intermediate routes and deep routes — and he’s had some big plays, too. I’m pleased with where Arian is. I hope he keeps getting better and keeps growing and trying to be an explosive playmaker for us.”

Smith is the last of Georgia’s four 2020 wide receiver signees still with the program. Ladd McConkey, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Jermaine Burton are all set to be drafted in this month’s NFL draft.

Smith is using his extra year of eligibility offered to him via COVID to hopefully put himself in the position to do so next season.

In the meantime, his veteran presence has given him a different perspective on leadership. His fellow wide receivers have noticed a different Smith this spring.

“He’s probably I would say the bright light of the room, always uplifting, always in a good mood ready to go and ready to practice,” Dominic Lovett said of Smith. “I would probably say he’s like the spark plug of the room that gets all of us going. So that’s probably like the biggest thing I’ve seen from him. Also, he’s stepped into that, like, leadership role of the room. That’s probably the main thing.”

Smith’s story has been told many times to this point. His speed makes him a real threat and if he can emerge as a reliable contributor, he’ll only further unlock Georgia’s offense.

But Smith has never gotten the ending he wants. The hope is that in his final season at Georgia, his past experience will allow to finally be known for something more than just his promising speed.

There’s still a long way to go, but it seems Smith has gotten off to a good start this spring.