Blue and Gold Illustrated

BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM NOV. 1, 2025 17 But he's someone coaches and team- mates have long been high on, even if most, if not all, of his progress hap- pened behind the scenes. Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock has compared Smith to former star Irish wideout Will Fuller, an eventual first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. "When he runs, the fluidity that he runs with — it doesn't look like he's running really fast, but he kind of is," Denbrock said in September 2024. "He reminds me a lot of Will." With others (including in his own re- cruiting class) ahead of Smith on the depth chart, it would be more than a year before Notre Dame fans saw his talent rise to the surface. Once it did, the Irish liked what they saw. After his touchdown, Smith stayed in for the re- mainder of Notre Dame's 36-7 win over North Carolina State. On a team with more offensive weap- ons than the Irish have had in a long time, Smith can add another dimension. "KK is a guy that has game-changing speed," Irish head coach Marcus Free- man said. "There's a lot of things KK brings to this team that help us on the football field." 'DELAYED GRATIFICATION' When Smith was growing up in Frisco, his games would be must-watch action — especially when he went against Ja'Kobe Walter, the eventual No. 19 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. "When they would play, monster crowds would come up," Josh Healy, a criminal defense attorney and friend of Smith's family, said. "It would literally be direct snaps to either one of them, depending on who had the ball. And everybody in town would be watching that. It was crazy." "That's my boy, man," Smith said, laughing. "Me and him, back in Frisco, we were like hometown rivals. It was always my team versus his team. KK versus Ja'Kobe." Smith quickly became a fan favorite in Frisco as he entered Reedy High School, where he put his Division I-level ath- leticism on display early. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Healy trained Smith and his classmates and saw that athleticism first-hand. He also saw it on the field. "His freshman year, he literally jumped over two players when they were trying to tackle him," Healy said. "How is that even possible?" Upon arriving at Notre Dame, how- ever, Smith faced an uphill battle to earn playing time. He was a three-star re- cruit with three four-stars (and a walk- on who now leads the team in recep- tions) in his class. He also dealt with injuries throughout his first two years with the program. Smith missed his entire true fresh- man season with a shoulder injury, and he suffered a collarbone injury that halted his progress late in 2024. Still, behind closed doors, Smith was im- pressing people in the building. "KK Smith, my dog, man," then- Notre Dame and current New York Gi- ants wide receiver Beaux Collins told Blue & Gold Illustrated at the national championship game. "He's a young bull. He hasn't played much, but he's gonna be a serious problem, for sure." While he sat out, Smith learned from the players ahead of him. He shouted out wide receivers Jayden Thomas and Deion Colzie, who have since trans- ferred out. Even on the other side of the ball, he said, safety Xavier Watts was like his "twin," who taught him how to carry himself. Satisfied with his situation and not feeling any desire to move closer to home, Smith stayed at Notre Dame and kept working. "It's just trusting and knowing, having faith in my coaches and ultimately hav- ing faith in God like there's a greater plan for me," Smith said. "Coach Free was a good mentor for me. [Wide receivers] coach [Mike] Brown, a great mentor, and I felt like I could trust him to develop me and once my time came, I knew I would have a good chance to execute." Even this season, despite being healthy, Smith was on the outside looking in for regular playing time. He played 1 and 6 snaps, respectively, in Notre Dame's one-score games against Miami and Texas A&M. But as Freeman put it, Smith worked while he waited. And when his opportunity came, he took advantage. "It's called delayed gratification," Freeman said. "He didn't play as much as he wanted. Nobody plays as much as they want unless you play every single snap. But you got to continue to work while you wait. You embrace your role, whatever that role is on Saturday." Smith's performance against North Carolina State may have earned him a larger role, even when Gilbert and Greathouse come back healthy. An ex- plosive offense may become even more so with Smith in the fold. ✦ "KK is a guy that has game-changing speed. There's a lot of things KK brings to this team that help us on the football field." IRISH HEAD COACH MARCUS FREEMAN ON SMITH

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