Georgia Tech
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Georgia Tech’s Dontae Smith announces return for fifth season

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Dec 17, 2022

Georgia Tech running back Dontae Smith will be back to use his extra season of eligibility.

Smith, who set a career high with 420 rushing yards this season, made his announcement Thursday from his Twitter account.

He made the proclamation in a manner fitting for this new age in college sports, writing “1 last ride” while also posting a link to his online merchandise shop.

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Smith’s return provides needed experience for an offense that has lost or stands to lose several key offensive skill players either to graduation or the transfer portal, including quarterback Jeff Sims, wide receivers Nate McCollum and Malachi Carter and running back Hassan Hall. Depending on what Tech does in procuring running backs out of the transfer portal, Smith is positioned to have a major role in the 2023 season.

In four seasons, Smith has run 208 times for 1,159 yards and 12 touchdowns, a 5.0 yards-per-carry average.

About the Author

Ken Sugiura is a sports columnist at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Formerly the Georgia Tech beat reporter, Sugiura started at the AJC in 1998 and has covered a variety of beats, mostly within sports.

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