Could Ainias Smith Return for Another Year with Texas A&M Football?

Lead Receiver for Texas A&M Football Weighing Decision to Return

It may sound crazy, but Ainias Smith has not yet exhausted every year of his eligibility for Texas A&M football and could return to the Aggies next year. Many Aggies have approached this year with the attitude that this—barring something crazy—will be the last year we see Smith in Maroon and White. That makes sense, given that Smith was weighing the same decision this past offseason, but he obviously decided to return after that terrible leg injury he sustained in game four of the 2022 season.

Asked about his plans after the conclusion of this year, though, Ainias had this to say:

That is pretty intriguing!

I would have to say that I think this decision at the moment is probably 90% head to the draft and 10% return to school, based on my own intuition. When Ainias returned, I think a big motivator was putting another year of tape out there, and he has balled out this year. However, I also think this decision will be strongly influenced by the head coaching hire. If it’s a guy known for high-flying passing offenses, then that may make Ainias think twice. He’s not been a guy very high on many draft boards likely due to his size, but Texas A&M football fans know how complete his game really is. He has flown under the radar due to his lower overall production, but if he had the opportunity to feature heavily in a top offense—for which all the tools currently exist in College Station—then it may make some draft gurus dig deeper into his film and recognize the diamond in the rough that he is.