Alabama leading wide receiver DeVonta Smith will return for the 2020 season.
Smith announced his decision on Instagram, not long after quarterback Tua Tagovailoa confirmed he would be entering the 2020 NFL draft. ESPN’s Mel Kiper ranks Smith as the No. 23 overall prospect and No. 6 wide receiver for the draft.
“There’s a lot I have left to accomplish as a player and as a student, and I feel that my time is not up at Alabama,” Smith wrote on Instagram. “I have unfinished business to take care of and the only way to do that is to stay one more year.”
Smith led Alabama in both receiving yards (1,256) and receiving touchdowns (14), while ranking second behind Jerry Jeudy in receptions (77). Jeudy recently announced he will enter the draft and is widely projected as the top wide receiver prospect. Crimson Tide wide receiver Henry Ruggs III has yet to announce his draft decision.
Smith earned AP first-team All-SEC honors in 2019, and was a second-team selection by the league’s coaches. He has 118 receptions for 2,109 yards and 23 touchdowns in his first three seasons. The Amite, Louisiana, native caught the game-winning touchdown from Tagovailoa to beat Georgia in the national championship game as a true freshman.