By LARRY VAUGHTThe transfer portal and name, image and likeness (NIL) revenue have been linked constantly in recent months but former Mississippi cornerback Keidron Smith is not like a lot of athletes.He made his decision recently to transfer to Kentucky for his final season of eligibility for football reasons, not financial gain.“Honestly, NIL is becoming the big picture for college football. I let each and every school know NIL was not something I was looking for. I was looking for a place to start and contribute,” said Smith. “NIL was the last thing on my mind when it came to my decision. To me, NIL was just an extra benefit.”Smith admitted NIL can be a distraction unless you have the right mindset after entering the transfer portal.“You cannot let that be the main reason for your decision. You have to look at it from a football perspective. The school with the best NIL deal might not be the best for football,” Smith said.He said Kentucky did come up with NIL “opportunities” for him and expects to get some financial offers but insists his focus is on football.“I am more than open to do NIL. That is the next step in getting my name out there. I am looking forward to it,” he said. “Kentucky is headed in the right direction with (coach Mark) Stoops. I am looking forward to playing for him.”Apparently Smith was not a hard sell for Stoops and defensive coordinator Brad White. He had started the last two seasons for Ole Miss and played in 47 games with 22 starts and had 223 tackles in his four-year career. His former roommate/teammate, linebacker Jacquez Jones, transferred to UK last year and became a starter. Jones is back for a super senior season.“He was the first person to hit my phone when I first got into the (transfer) portal,” Smith said. “He let the (UK) coaches know and when I was officially in the portal coach White and (cornerback) coach (Chris) Collins were the first coaches to hit my phone.Smith did not know what to expect recruiting-wise when he put his name in the transfer portal with only one year of eligibility left. He said it was a “blessing” when Kentucky reached out to him.“They told me they needed a corner and a one-year guy was perfect with the young guys they had in the (position) room,” Smith said. “Me being able to teach young guys what they need to be elite players, I just thank God that he gave me an opportunity like this.”Kentucky also checked all the boxes for Smith — rising program expecting another good season with a definite need at his position. It also helped that he was not looking to enroll at UK in January and go on scholarship because Stoops did not have an available scholarship then.“I told them I wanted to graduate first and that worked out perfectly,” Smith, who is now in Lexington taking summer classes, said.It also helped that Lexington will be even easier for his parents in West Palm Beach, Fla., to visit. Lexington and Oxford, Miss., are about the same distance from West Palm Beach but Smith noted his parents can take a direct flight to Lexington compared to having to fly into Memphis and then drive to Oxford.“I am telling you, NIL was the last thing I was thinking about when I transferred. I was taking everything into consideration, not just NIL, and you see where I am now,” he said.He’s not worried about adjusting to White’s system at Kentucky. He played for four different defensive coaches at Ole Miss and says learning the playbook has never been an issue for him. Instead, he’s more worried about building “cohesiveness” with teammates.“Summer goes by fast but it will help having Jacquez by my side,” Smith said. “He can help me get introduced to teammates and I can pick up what they do on the field and how they work on and off the field. I can learn from him.”
He won’t “speak too much” about what he can do but is confident in his ability.“Expect to hear my name called a lot (during games). I will be around the ball,” he said.He believes Kentucky has all the tools to have a “big run” this season.“They have a great quarterback. The majority of the team is back. They lost some key pieces (from last year) but that happens to every team. I think we have one of the teams with the best chance to make it far this season,” Smith said.He only saw UK quarterback Will Levis play on TV last year. He was impressed then. He’s more impressed now.“I came on an official visit and saw him in person and thought, ‘That is a big quarterback.’ He has a very strong arm, too,” Smith said. “Coming from Ole Miss and playing with a great quarterback in Matt Corral, I know what a first-round prospect looks like and Will has all the tools to be that guy.”