2024 Football Roster
Roster
Smith, Donovan
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Jersey Number 1
Donovan Smith
- Position:
- QB
- Height:
- 6-5
- Weight:
- 235
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Las Vegas, Nev.
- High School:
- Frenship HS
- Prev School:
- Texas Tech
Bio
As a Senior (2024)
- Started first five games of the season
- Completed season-high 24 passes at #15/13 Oklahoma (Sept. 7)
- Completed season-best 85.7% of passes at #15/13 Oklahoma (min 10 attempts)
- Passed for a season-high 260 yards at #15/13 Oklahoma
- Threw for a season-high two touchdowns at Kansas (Oct. 19)
- Connected with junior Mekhi Mews for season-long 52-yard TD at Kansas (Oct. 19)
- One of five different Cougars to attempt a pass in 2024
- Threw for four touchdowns and rushed for three
- Rushed for a season-high 47 yards vs. Iowa State (Sept. 28)
- Rushed for a season-high two touchdowns vs. Rice (Sept. 14)
- 314 snaps played
- 181 snaps at quarterback during Weeks 1-3
- Second on team with 20 first-down rushes
- Third on team with nine rushes of 10+ yards
- UH honorary game captain vs. UNLV (Aug. 31)
- Honorary UH flag bearer at #19/20 BYU (Nov. 30)
As a Junior (2023)
- Started all 12 games at quarterback (775 snaps)
- Six of 12 starts came against opponents ranked or receiving votes
- 256 of 397 passing (64.5%) for 2,801 passing yards and 22 TDs
- 64.5 completion % ranked third in Big 12
- Fourth in Big 12 in completions per game (21.33) and passing TDs (22)
- 14.7 points responsible for per game ranked 24th nationally
- Seven games with 20+ completions
- One of eight Power 5 QBs with 250+ completions, 2,500+ passing yards, 20+ passing TDs and 5+ rushing TDs
- One of four UH QBs (Case Keenum, Clayton Tune and Greg Ward Jr.) in last 20 years with 250+ completions, 2,500+ passing yards, 20+ passing touchdowns and 5+ rushing scores in a single season
- Six games with 20+ completions, 225+ passing yards and 2+ passing touchdowns were tied for fifth-most among Power 5 quarterbacks
- Four games with a rushing touchdown and a passing touchdown ranked 16th most among Power 5 quarterbacks
- Passing TD (60 yards), rushing TD (31 yards) and receiving TD (28 yards) vs. #24/25 Oklahoma State (Nov. 18) – seventh Big 12 quarterback all-time to do so
- Go-ahead 2-point conversion rush in overtime to defeat Baylor (Nov. 4)
- First quarterback since Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray (Sept. 29, 2018) to complete 75% of passes (min. 20 attempts), throw for 200+ yards and pass for 2 TDs against Baylor, doing so on Nov. 4
- Go-ahead 49-yard completion on Hail Mary as time expired to defeat West Virginia (Oct. 12)
- Completed final 16 passes vs. West Virginia, totaling 214 passing yards and four TD passes
- First quarterback since Texas Tech’s Seth Doege (Oct. 13, 2012) to complete 20+ passes alongside 4 passing TDs, no interceptions and a 75%+ completion against West Virginia, doing so on Oct. 12
- Career-high 378 passing yards against #8/8 Texas (Oct. 21)
- First quarterback since LSU’s Joe Burrow (Sept. 7, 2019) to complete 30+ passes for 375+ yards and 3+ passing TDs vs. Texas, doing so on Oct. 21
- One of 13 Power 5 quarterbacks with 3+ rushing touchdowns in a game, doing so vs. Rice (Sept. 9)
- First quarterback since Oklahoma State’s Brandon Weeden (Nov. 12, 2011) to complete 30+ passes for 300+ yards and 4+ touchdowns alongside a 70%+ completion percentage at Texas Tech, doing so on Sept. 30
- One of two UH QBs in last 20 seasons with 4+ passing TDs and 3+ rushing TDs across first two weeks of season
- After rushing for 99 yards and one touchdown between Games 3-8, Smith rushed for 241 yards and two TDs in his final four games
Prior to Houston
- Spent three seasons (2020-22) at Texas Tech
- Played in 21 games
- 231 for 360 ( 64.2 completion %) with 2,686 passing yards and 19 TDs
- 132 rushes for 261 yards and 10 rushing touchdowns
- Threw for 1,505 yards, completing 146 of 221 passes (66.1 completion %)
- 12 passing TDs while playing in 12 games in 2022
- Led Red Raiders with 1,621 yards of total offense in 2022
- In win vs. Houston: 350 passing yards and 2 touchdowns
- In win vs. Texas: 331 passing yards and 2 touchdowns)
- Passed for 359 yards and a pair of scores at eventual Big 12 champion Kansas State
- In 2021, led Red Raiders to a 2-2 record as a starter
- Memorable performance as Most Valuable Player in AutoZone Liberty Bowl
- Appeared in 11 games overall, the most by any Red Raider quarterback
- Completed 85 of 138 passes for 1,182 yards
- Seven touchdowns with only two interceptions
- Rushed 57 times for 154 yards and three scores
- Averaged 107.4 passing yards per game
- 229.8 passing yards in games started
- Early in year, utilized in short-yardage situations as a dual-threat option
- Named starter late in year
- Saw more playing time towards the start of conference play
- Saw more time after injury to Tyler Shough
- Limited number of snaps before playing entire second half vs. Oklahoma
- Graded out at 75.9 according to Pro Football Focus
- 75.9 grade ranked sixth overall on offense
- Suffered preseason injury in 2020
- Injury kept him off field for duration of 2020 true freshman season
- Joined Houston in January as mid-year enrollee
High School
- Attended Frenship High School
- Played senior season for Tigers after transfer from Bishop Gorman (Las Vegas, Nev.)
- Impressive in one season at Frenship
- Threw for 3,123 yards and 25 touchdowns
- Rushed for 489 yards and 13 touchdowns
- Only eight interceptions on year across 328 pass attempts
- Completed 64.9 percent of his passes
- District 2-6A Co-Offensive Player of the Year
- First Team All-District at quarterback
- Led Frenship to first winning season since 2015
- Push Tigers to first playoff appearance since 2016
- Previously was wide receiver at Bishop Gorman
- 806 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 49 catches as junior in 2018
- Part of Bishop Gorman program that won its 10th-consecutive state title in 2018
- USA Today All-USA Nevada All-State Team at wide receiver
- Also backup quarterback for Bishop Gorman, one of top programs in country
- Played basketball at Bishop Gorman and at Frenship
- Competed in track and field at Bishop Gorman and Frenship
- Three-star prospect according to Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports
- Third member of the Smith family to play football collegiately
- Older brother, Ryan, was wide receiver at Duke (2013-16)
- Father, DeAndre, was four-year letterwinner at quarterback for Southwest Missouri State
- Father, DeAndre, is Indianapolis Colts' running backs coach
Personal
- Earned Bachelor of Science in Integrated Studies (May '24)
- Nicknames: Smitty or Donny
- Hobbies: gaming, archery, frisbee golf, reading, driving
- Describes himself as outgoing, energetic and respectful
- Favorite childhood memory is sitting in a deer stand hunting
- Dream job outside of football: CEO of a major company
- Can build you anything you need
- Hidden talent: juggling
- Father, DeAndre Smith is running backs coach for the Indianapolis Colts
- Father, DeAndre played at Missouri State where he had his #1 jersey retired in 2010
- Brother, Ryan Smith, was a wide receiver at Duke (2013-16)
- Chose UH because it has a great family environment, great city with great food
- One word to describe himself on the field: exciting
- If he could eat one food for the rest of his life: salmon
- His motivation for working hard: the haters
- Highlight of his life: waking up this morning
- Sports hero: DeAndre Smith because he was a baller and a dawg
- Most memorable athletic feat: his first win as the starting quarterback against Iowa State
- Unique fact: can build a PC
Postgame Press Conference: Football at Rice
Saturday, September 06
Postgame Press Conference: Football vs. Stephen F. Austin
Friday, August 29
Press Conference: Head Coach Willie Fritz Previews SFA
Monday, August 25
Camp Availability: Head Coach Willie Fritz
Monday, August 04
