Football: Three Ragin’™ Cajuns Earn Pro Football Focus All-America Honors

Chris Smith highlights trio with First Team All-America honors

LAFAYETTE – Three Louisiana Football standouts have garnered All-America recognition from Pro Football Focus (PFF) following their stellar play throughout the 2020 season, the national football organization announced on Monday.
 
Return specialist Chris Smith highlighted the trio with First Team All-America recognition, while safety Bralen Trahan picked up Second Team All-America honors and defensive lineman Zi’Yon Hill was tabbed as Honorable Mention.
 
Smith, who was named First Team All-Sun Belt Conference on Monday, is one of the most electric kick returners in the nation, boasting 572 kick return yards and two touchdowns. On the season, he ranks seventh nationally in return yards and is one of four FBS returners with two kick-return scores. His production saw him become one of just five kick returners in the nation to receive a grade of 90.0 or above by PFF.
 
A native of Louisville, Miss., Smith also racked up Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors for All-Purpose yards after totaling 1,042 yards this season, good for 42nd in the nation.
 
Trahan, who was recently named a Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference performer, ranks fourth on the team in total tackles (41) and has been stellar in the defensive backfield, tying for fourth nationally in passes defended (13), fifth nationally in interceptions (4) and 20^th nationally in passes broken up (9).
 
His four picks are the most in a single season by a Ragin’ Cajun since Sean Thomas in 2013, while his eight career interceptions tied Tracy Walker for the third-most interceptions by a Ragin’ Cajun in the last 20 years.
 
PFF has Trahan listed as the fifth-highest graded safety in coverage nationally with a mark of 89.6.
 
Hill joined Trahan on the Sun Belt All-Conference Second Team after leading all Louisiana defensive lineman and ranking third on the team with 42 total tackles. Hill also leads the team and is tied for 12th in the Sun Belt with 4.0 sacks.
 
The redshirt junior lineman also caught the eye of PFF in 2020, listed as the ninth-highest graded pass rusher nationally (86.9) according to the organization.
 
Head coach Billy Napier‘s squad looks to pick up its second-straight bowl victory on Saturday, Dec. 26, when it faces UTSA in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas, Texas. Kickoff is slated for 2:30 p.m. CT and will be broadcast nationally on ABC.
 
More information on the game, including where to purchase tickets and parking passes, can be found on Louisiana’s Bowl Central page by clicking here.