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FRISCO, Texas 鈥� Some were surprised when they saw Arizona safety Genesis Smith鈥檚 player rating in EA Sports鈥� 鈥淐ollege Football 26鈥� video game, including Smith.

To find Smith, who was given a 78 overall rating in College Football 26, on Arizona鈥檚 roster in the newly released video game, you have to scroll down a little bit. Smith didn鈥檛 crack Arizona鈥檚 10 highest-rated players list.

When the Arizona junior was asked about his player rating at Big 12 Media Days this week, Smith pondered for a moment and said he鈥檚 鈥渘ot too happy about it.鈥�

鈥淎t least I鈥檓 in the game, so that鈥檚 good,鈥� Smith said with a smile. 鈥淚t definitely could鈥檝e been a lot better, but it鈥檚 all good. Hopefully I get bumped up later.鈥�

Added Smith: 鈥淚t happens. There鈥檚 nothing I can do about it except go out and play in real life and ball out.鈥�

When Smith鈥檚 playing rating was revealed this week, senior strong safety Dalton Johnson said the Wildcats 鈥渨ere a little confused and we don鈥檛 quite understand it, but I think it鈥檚 a chip on his shoulder.鈥�

鈥淗e鈥檚 gotta go and change that,鈥� Johnson added. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a chip on his shoulder, but it鈥檚 not right.鈥�

Arizona slot cornerback Treydan Stukes said Smith鈥檚 78 rating is 鈥渇ar too low.鈥�

鈥淭hat might be EA鈥檚 biggest blunder of the year so far,鈥� Stuke said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 just inexcusable.鈥�

Johnson and Stukes essentially did their best Rodney Dangerfield impersonation 鈥� and they have an argument.

Smith carved out a mainstay role in Arizona鈥檚 defense last season and recorded the team鈥檚 third-most tackles (63), along with six pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He was named the Co-Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week following Arizona鈥檚 win over Houston. Smith had seven tackles, an interception, a fumble recovery and no missed tackles against the Cougars.

Due to injuries to Stukes, Johnson and free safety Gunner Maldonado, Smith stepped in as a sophomore and started at three different positions in Arizona鈥檚 defensive secondary last season. The 6-2, 203-pound Chandler Hamilton product was thrust into a starting role and played 鈥渢remendously,鈥� Johnson said.

鈥淥nce Gunner Maldonado went down, it meant Genesis had to step up,鈥� said Johnson. 鈥淚 think he did a great job at that. Now, after getting that experience, one thing I noticed in spring ball was his voice and his energy. If I had a bad day mentally, Gen was the one lifting me up and vice versa. He鈥檚 young, but I can count on him as a vet.鈥�

Smith 鈥渉as grown as a player and as a man,鈥� Stukes said.

鈥淚 think that鈥檒l be evident,鈥� Stukes said. 鈥淭he game is going to slow down for him. If you haven鈥檛 heard of the name yet, you will this year.鈥�

The 鈥渉igh-energy, high-effort鈥� Smith was one of the nearly 30 Wildcats to enter the transfer portal in December and 鈥渉e was a guy that the people came hard after in the portal, but he stayed true to Arizona,鈥� Brennan said.

The agent-less Smith took an official visit to Washington, which has ex UA head coach Jedd Fisch and several of Smith鈥檚 former Arizona teammates, and 鈥渋t was a lot all at once, but after my first trip to Washington, it was clarity for me and I wanted to come back (to Arizona).鈥�

鈥淭he brotherhood, it鈥檚 hard to pass up on,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淜nowing the opportunity I have at Arizona, the brothers I can lean on when times get tough, it鈥檚 hard to pass up. ... That鈥檚 the reason I did come back, the culture. It鈥檚 a brotherhood.鈥�

When he returned to Arizona in the spring, he unofficially led the Wildcats in interceptions and was among the top playmakers and turnover-creators in pass coverage and in the backfield during spring practices.

Smith鈥檚 top goal this season for Arizona鈥檚 defense is to have the 鈥渕ost turnovers in the nation, not just the Big 12,鈥� he said.

鈥淚 think it鈥檚 possible,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淲e have a lot of ballhawks, dudes making plays on the ball each and every play in the spring. We just gotta continue to pursue the ball and be physical.鈥�

Smith replaces a two-year starter in Maldonado at free safety, but the budding standout in Arizona鈥檚 secondary, Johnson and Stukes 鈥� who is back at Arizona after redshirting last season following a season-ending knee injury 鈥� have combined for 4,550 defensive snaps in their careers. Arizona鈥檚 trio, who all represented the Wildcats at Big 12 Media Days at Ford Center this week, in the secondary is the team鈥檚 most experienced group.

鈥淲e take our roles as leaders seriously and be role models any way we can, just trying to make sure everyone is on the same page and holding everyone accountable,鈥� Stukes said.

Arizona defensive coordinator Danny Gonzales said Smith 鈥渃ould be the best defensive football player in the league this year if he does the things he did in spring ball.鈥� Those lofty expectations should warrant a higher player rating in a video game, right?

鈥淚鈥檓 not worried about a 78 and that I have to prove myself,鈥� Smith said. 鈥淜nowing the plans I have for myself and for the team this year, I feel like we鈥檙e going to have a successful season, just from all the work we鈥檝e put in on and off the field, the film room, the weight room.

鈥淕oing out there and continue to work. I feel like our hard work will pay off.鈥�

Extra points

鈥� Brennan, on coaches鈥� name and likeness added to College Football 26 this season: 鈥淢ost of the messages I鈥檝e been getting are friends and people talking smack about how weird I look in the game. I haven鈥檛 seen it yet, but I think it鈥檚 cool the game is back in play because it was such a big game in my early career and late college years. To see it come back with excitement and enthusiasm, is pretty cool. It鈥檚 cool for our players and it鈥檚 cool for college football.鈥�

鈥� Smith said the Big 12 is 鈥渨ell-balanced.鈥� Added Smith: 鈥淣o team is dominant. Any game can be a trap game. You gotta come in with respect for everybody. If you don鈥檛, that鈥檚 when you lose and get hit in the mouth. Stay physical and the most physical team will win.鈥�

鈥� Brennan said 鈥渢here鈥檚 parity in the (Big 12) and anyone can win it.鈥� Added Brennan: 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 unique about the Big 12 and everyone is excited about that.鈥�

鈥� The Wildcats are 鈥渁 lot more mission-focused鈥� this season, according to Smith. Said Smith: 鈥淲e鈥檙e a lot more process-oriented and not really focused on the year before. Last year, a lot of dudes were looking back on that 2023 season and tried to recreate that. We鈥檙e just trying to be ourselves this year. We鈥檙e not trying to recreate anything. We鈥檙e just working and then we鈥檒l go from there.鈥�