Jason Smith, a former professional offensive lineman, announced through social media on Wednesday his appointment to the South Carolina football coaching staff. Smith will serve as assistant offensive line coach for the 2025 season, working alongside new offensive line coach Randy Clements under offensive coordinator Kendal Briles.
His coaching background includes two seasons at Abilene Christian, where he coached tight ends in 2024 and running backs in 2025. Smith previously collaborated with Clements at North Texas in 2022, and both coaches have connections to Briles dating back to their time at Baylor, where Smith played under them.
Smith’s playing career included a remarkable transformation from a lightly-recruited tight end prospect to an All-American tackle at Baylor. His college success led to his selection by the St. Louis Rams as the second overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft. After his college career, Baylor recognized his achievements with induction into their athletics Hall of Fame in 2020. His professional career included stints with the Rams, New York Jets, and New Orleans Saints.
During the 2022 season at North Texas, Smith worked on a coaching staff that developed an effective running game. That year’s offense produced nearly 200 rushing yards per contest and accumulated 24 rushing touchdowns overall. Twenty of those scores came from running backs—a figure that exceeded South Carolina’s 2024 total by 13 touchdowns. Among those North Texas running backs was Oscar Adaway, who scored five times before later joining the Gamecocks.
Smith, who goes by the moniker “Smooth,” reunites with Clements as South Carolina works to strengthen its offensive line and ground attack heading into next season.
