Seeing a player go from USC and then find his way in the NFL is an aspect that Trojan fans appreciate every time. Jaylin Smith was drafted by the Houston Texans during the 2025 NFL Draft. Already his new team appears highly pleased and impressed with the defender's skill set.
While speaking on the USC J show, James Smith, the father of Jaylin, shared what he experienced from his visit with the team and coaches that his son now plays for. It appears that Houston is starting to enjoy the qualities of the player that Trojan fans were able to witness up close and personally for four years.
The older Smith mentioned that the Texans are already looking to take advantage of the defensive back's versatility. According to him, Houston will have plays in which Smith will be lining up on the outside at one of the corner positions, the nickel spot, and at safety.
Regardless of where Smith lines up, it looks increasingly likely that USC fans will be able to see the familiar high-energy productivity from the defender at the next level.
Another possibility or avenue to see Smith take the field on Sundays opened up when Ronald Darby announced his retirement decision. In the NFL, a lot of decisions come down to a numbers game. Had the veteran Super Bowl winner elected to stay on, then he would have been in a position to earn playing time and snaps in front of Smith.
Instead, the decision of the now-former Texan means that Smith will have one less person to beat out for the 2025 season.
It is somewhat incredible that Houston has as many USC players on the roster as it does. On the USC J show, they two also discussed that aspect. While it is neat to have former Trojans on the team, Smith's focus will remain on getting sharper and being ready to make plays this year.
Still, when going through the channels this year when the NFL games are on, if the Texans are playing, there is a great chance of seeing a former Trojan on the screen, and a good shot that Smith will be heavily involved on defense as a rookie.