With the help of his father, free safety Van Smith is growing with the hopes of being an impactful player on the Clemson defense.

“He coached me my whole high school career. He helped me a lot in just knowing about football,” Smith said about his dad after Thursday’s scrimmage. “I wouldn’t say the game is hard to me because I pick up stuff fast. I just like having fun and relaxing.”

The sophomore said the best advice his father gave him was to just be himself, be comfortable, be patient, and stay humble. Living out the advice his father gave him, Smith was able to play  in 14 games, record 16 tackles, and have one interception last season.

His biggest game was against Miami where he logged six tackles, a tackle for loss and recorded one interception in the Tigers’ 58-0 victory.

As the 2016 season approaches, Smith says he has made a lot of  progress, but believes there is still more room for improvement.

“I have done a lot, but there is still work to do. I’m still competing so I’m just having fun right now and getting ready for Auburn, ” he said.

The Charlotte native said his biggest strengths lie within his mental game and his ability to step up as a leader. Helping fill the shoes of T.J. Greene and Jayron Kearse, who were both drafted into the NFL, Smith knows he has a lot to prove, but he is confident in what he brings to the defense.

“Physical mentality, being a leader on the field, knowing what other people have to do so that I can better myself,” Smith said were his greatest strengths.

Challenged by one of the most talented wide receiver cores in the nation during fall camp, Smith is confident the Clemson secondary will able to compete with anybody you put in front of them.

“We go against the best everyday, so we will be fine, ” he said.

Comparing Thursday’s  scrimmage to Saturday’s, the sophomore was more satisfied with the team’s performance on Thursday.

“It was a better day. There is still some stuff we have to handle but everything is good,” Smith said .

As far as making improvements from last season, Smith said the team has studied some of the mistakes made last year and is working to avoid those pitfalls during the 2016 season.

“We go back and watch stuff that we did wrong last year to better this year,”  he said.