Three years ago this week, Irv Smith Jr., a three-star recruit from New Orleans, Louisiana, told The Times-Picayune he was “pretty locked in” on Texas A&M. A month later, he took his first official visit to College Station, Texas and watched the No. 9 Aggies lose 41-23 to No. 10 Alabama.

Fast forward to now. Smith Jr., a promising junior tight end for the No. 1 ranked Crimson Tide, is preparing to face the team he spurned in favor of Alabama two weeks before national signing day in 2016.

Despite his decision, Smith Jr. had formed a close bond with Texas A&M tight end coach and special teams coordinator Jeff Banks. After two years as SEC rivals, the two were reunited this past winter when Banks was hired to the same positions at Alabama.

“I ended up taking a visit to Alabama and fell in love with it,” Smith Jr. said. “[Banks] got here and he was very excited. We were back together and he would be coaching me. It’s awesome, honestly.”

Whether it’s because of greater experience, Banks’ tutelage, Tua Tagovailoa’s ball distribution or some combination of the three, Smith Jr. has started his junior season with more production than ever. After hauling in 14 passes in 14 games last season, he now already has nine between three games.

“We have a lot of depth, and I feel like we have one of the most – if not the most – talented [tight end] groups in the country,” Smith Jr. said. “I feel like [offensive coordinator Mike] Locksley and the quarterbacks have done a great job trying to find us and get us available to make plays.”

Smith Jr.’s versatility makes him a chess piece for Locksley to move around to various spots on the field. He has lined up as an H-back (a backfield position usually associated with blocking), a traditional tight end and a slot receiver.

“Irv is a really good player,” coach Nick Saban said. “He’s played well this year. He does all phases of what we do well. He’s a good receiver, he’s a good off-the-ball blocker, he’s a good on-the-ball blocker. He’s got really good hands and he’s a good receiver and he’s fast enough to be a threat down the field.”

Smith Jr. has always been athletic, but now his football intelligence and knowledge of the Alabama offense have caught up, and teammates are taking notice.  

“He looks the part, he is really athletic,” said junior left tackle Jonah Williams. “But I think that over the years, he’s gotten especially good at understanding the schemes and the techniques. He’s a really dependable guy. … Being a tackle, it’s really nice to have great tight ends that I can work with.”

Smith Jr.’s father Irvin Smith was a first-round draft pick by the New Orleans Saints in 1993, and he played tight end in the NFL for eight seasons. The elder Smith has imparted some of his wisdom to his son, frequently lauding his performance but always mentioning something he can work on.

Smith Jr. said during fall camp that he has been working on improving his in-line blocking and the crispness of his routes. The better he becomes in each of those areas, the more valuable he is to the offense.

“It makes it tough on a defense if they don’t know what we’re going to do,” Smith Jr. said. “If I’m in the game, they don’t know if I’m going to block or if I’m going to go out for a pass. We do a lot of different schemes. It’s a read-pass option, so it’s helped me a lot and helped the team a lot.”