CLEMSON – Most college students experience nerves on their first day of classes, whether it is getting to the correct building, arriving on time, or balancing their homework load.

While Tristan Smith, a senior transfer wide receiver for Clemson, is dealing with the normal stress of being a new student, he also had to battle the nerves of his first day of Division 1 fall camp on July 31.

After transferring from FCS Southeast Missouri State in the offseason, Smith came in as a “big-time player” and “the happiest guy on the team,” according to head coach Dabo Swinney. Even for the happiest guy on the team, however, nerves are real.

“I had kind of a rough day, getting acclimated to fall camp and coach Swinney got onto me a little about that,” Smith said.

“I had a lot going through my head, with this being my last fall camp and really just at the end of the day, just nerves. That’s all it is. Being out of pass for a couple months, you get back into it, it’s just a lot of nerves going on. But after I got that first day out the way, I was ready to roll.”

After notching 76 passes for 934 yards and six touchdown receptions for the Redhawks last season, Smith quickly made his presence known in Clemson’s annual Orange vs. White Spring Game in April. The Lagrange, Ga., native caught five passes for 137 yards and a touchdown en route to a victory for the offense. 

Four months later, Smith is taking the same mental approach he had in the spring game to every practice.

“I treat it the same, like I treat it in the spring,” he said. “Every day at a time, one day, practice every day like it’s a game day. The spring game, that was a game, so I practice every day like the spring game. It’s no different, but just a little bit hotter outside. That’s all it is. A lot more intense.”

After an August 10 scrimmage, Swinney noted that Smith was making one-handed catches in practice and used his six-foot-five frame to bound into the air for a touchdown catch in the back of the endzone.

Clearly, the acclimation to fall camp did not take long for Smith’s athleticism and size to show.

“He’s long, he has a really great catch radius, he runs well,” wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham said. “It’s kind of deceptive because he’s got such a long stride. He’s got toughness.”

“His personality is phenomenal, his energy is infectious, he’s a fun guy to be around,” Grisham added. “He’s very thankful for his opportunity… he’s overcome a whole lot so through his football journey he can share that Clemson is unique. I love the young man and am excited about his future.”

Clemson fans will get to see Smith in action for the first time since the spring game Saturday, Aug. 30, when the Clemson Tigers will open their season against LSU at Memorial Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 7:30 p.m.