Greg Smith III Is Everywhere

Defensive players don't put points on the board apart from the occasional pick-six or fumble return.

But points prevented are just important as points scored, as UNC safety Greg Smith III illustrated in the Tar Heels' 24-20 win at Duke with two plays that kept the Blue Devils out of the end zone.

Midway through the second quarter, Duke faced a fourth-and-1 at the UNC 2 yard line and handed the ball off to running back CJ Campbell, who appeared to have room to run.

The only problem: Campbell shared the open field with Smith, who, with no margin for error, squared him up and took him down immediately, providing a textbook example of what it means to wrap up when tackling.

UNC head coach Bill Belichick has touted the versatility of Smith, and the redshirt sophomore displayed the full range of his abilities against Duke.

In the third quarter, the Blue Devils once again drove deep into the red zone. This time, they targeted their leading pass-catcher, tight end Jeremiah Hasley. But Hasley had to battle with Smith on most of the routes he ran, and Smith was all over him on a play-action pass Duke called at the UNC 5 yard line.

The Blue Devils motioned Hasley from the slot and lined him up as an in-line tight end before he ran a crossing route. Smith followed him step-for-step and jumped in front of Hasley at the perfect moment, tipping the ball away (and nearly to himself). The Duke tight end, who entered with 19 receptions and 234 receiving yards, finished with a pair of grabs for 16 yards against the Tar Heels.

Both of those touchdown-saving plays by Smith are examples of the UNC defense's stellar play in the red zone, where opponents are scoring TDs only 42.11% of the time (the 10th best mark nationally). They also showed all that Smith has in his bag and captured why Pro Football Focus rates him as the top safety in the nation.

"He's big enough to play in the box. He can cover tight ends and cover receivers," Belichick said. "He has great deep-field range, and he's a good, strong tackler. He's done a great job, and he just keeps getting better and better."

Reading the quarterback

Smith has been involved on five (three interceptions, two forced fumbles) of UNC's eight forced turnovers, and his instincts stand out.

It makes sense that Smith played quarterback throughout his high school career.

Smith displayed QB-like pre-snap adjustments on his first interception of the season, a diving grab in the Tar Heels' home opener against East Tennessee State.

"That was a good check that he made to get into that position and made a nice play on the ball," Belichick said after that game.

Smith believes his past as a signal-caller helps him now, even if QB play at the college level is more sophisticated than high school. He said that most QBs do things unintentionally that potentially give away their intentions.

Another reason behind Smith's emergence is patience and preparation. The Riverview, Florida, native noted he's able to move quickly because the game has slowed down for him.

"Watching film helped my game elevate," Smith said. "It helped me play faster. And also the scout team throughout practice giving me that look in the game."

It helps when you get to work with Belichick and the rest of the Tar Heel defensive staff. Smith said "it's really like the small details and tips" he receives from them that help the most.

'My time was going to come eventually'

Giving his performance this season, it's hard to believe that Smith, who played one season at Florida before coming to Chapel Hill, didn't make his first collegiate start until UNC's 10th game last season.

But he — as well as fellow breakout star Xavier Lewis — embraced playing time in a third-down package in 2025.

"Coach gave us that opportunity for that third down package," Smith said. "So, we took advantage of it every week in practice. We were like 'Come on, let's keep pushing each other.'"

Smith's rise is a testament to what his head coach and teammates consistently preach about making small improvements daily.

"Once I came in, it was just about getting better and stacking days," Smith said. "I knew there were guys in front of me that were older, so I just learned from them and knew that my time was going to come eventually."

The time has come for Smith, and now he's making the most of it.

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