The migration of the proverbial snowbirds from the state of Illinois to the Phoenix metro area is naturally enticed by the chamber of commerce of weather this time of year. 6-1 220-pound Fighting Illini defensive back transfer Derrick Smith himself was impressed by his surroundings during his Tempe visit and decided to commit to the Sun Devils on his trip.

“I just like the vibe of the coaches and just the whole environment on my visit,” Smith said. “They were very honest with me and just made me feel that Arizona State was the best place for me. The weather was great, and it was nice getting out of the cold. The city, the campus…everything was amazing, and it was a great time. This was my first time in Arizona, and it was a great visit.

“Coach AP (Defensive coordinator Antonio Pierce) contacted me first about a week ago. They told me how they would use me in the defense and stand out to my full potential. He gave me a lot of information about the team and how the Pac-12 is. He’s said that I’m physical, run well, and I use my hands well. He said that I would be a good fit for the strong safety spot. I was watching their film, and I saw their no. 4 (Evan Fields) and that he was playing in the box, covering tight ends. So that’s what I’ll be doing here. And I like that, and I also the fact that safety blitzes too.”

Smith prepped at Orange Park (Fla.) Trinity Christian Academy and signed with the University of Miami out of high school. He posted 24 tackles for the Hurricanes in 2017 and 2018. He transferred to Illinois the following year and sat out the 2019 campaign due to NCAA transfer rules. In 2020 and 2021, he played in a total of 15 games, including four starts for Illinois collecting 39 tackles in those two seasons. He entered the portal on Nov. 2.

Smith has two years of eligibility left and is the second defensive back to join ASU following the earlier pledge of high school prospect Tristan Dunn. Smith is the overall the ninth addition in ASU’s 2022 class and is the third transfer player to join the ranks in Tempe, and is scheduled to arrive on campus in January.

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