Top 70 MAC Football Players: #70 Khary Bailey-Smith (DB - UMass Minutemen)

The UMass Minutemen are (in an all-of-a-sudden way) known for being able to run up the scoreboard. With a quarterback and a wide receiver named to Phil Steele's All-MAC First Team, there's no question that UMass can find the end zone. The question is can they hold off the other team from scoring. Coming in at #70, our first MAC top player is one of the men in charge of making sure that the only team throwing the ball around the field will be UMass, defensive back Khary Bailey-Smith.

Bailey-Smith is entering his senior season, and has three full years of experience under his belt, having played in 12, 9 and 12 games over the past three seasons, and notching 9 starts. In that time, he's shown he's had a nose for the ball.

Last year, Bailey-Smith was 17^th in the MAC in tackles for defensive backs with 5.2 a game, 10^th in fumble recoveries, six pass breakups and three interceptions. He's got height, at 6 foot 2, he's got a strong frame at 194 pounds, and he's got speed. Between his physical prowess and his instinct, you can see why in 2015, he's slated to bring all that experience to a full 12 starts.

What makes Bailey-Smith so special isn't just his defensive play, though. Its plays like this. He was 32^nd in the nation in kick return average, and is a threat to break one at any time. There's a reason he's Phil Steele's All-MAC Third Team Kick Returner.

With UMass in need of defensive help, you can expect to see Khary Bailey-Smith out there early and often..