While Genesis Smith faced some criticism for ending his career at Arizona after three seasons, it ultimately proved to be a wise one. And while he may not have been the first Wildcat off the board, he’s landing in a terrific fit. On Saturday, Arizona defensive back Genesis Smith was selected in the 4th round by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Arizona has now had two or more players selected in the three consecutive drafts for the first time since the 2009-2011 drafts. He joins Treydan Stukes, who is heading to the AFC West rival Las Vegas Raiders, as the second Wildcat defensive back taken in the draft. Prior to that, the last time the UA had a defensive back selected in the draft was in 2018 when the Tennessee Titans selected Dane Cruikshank.
During his junior campaign, Smith appeared in 12 games, finishing with 77 tackles, a pair of forced fumbles and fumble recoveries, an interception, and eight pass deflections, earning Third Team All-Big 12 honors. He recorded double-digit tackles in the games against BYU and Baylor, recording 10 tackles and a forced fumble and 16 tackles and a forced fumble, respectively.
The ball-hawking Smith was a turnover machine at Arizona, snagging five interceptions, forcing four fumbles, and recovering three fumble recoveries in his three-year career in Tucson.
As impactful as Smith was on the gridiron, he made the most of his platform off the field. He started the Genesis Smith Foundation, organizing an initiative called the Christmas Cats, donating toys and gifts to less fortunate families in Southern Arizona.
Genesis Smith joins a Los Angeles Chargers team that features defensive standouts like Derwin James and Khalil Mack and joins a draft class that includes Miami edge rusher Akheem Mesidor.
Fellow defensive backs Dalton Johnson and Michael Dansby also hope to hear their names called on Saturday.