CLEVELAND — University of Iowa wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette was selected by the Minnesota Vikings in the fifth round of Saturday’s NFL Draft. Smith-Marsette was the 157th player picked overall. He is the fourth wide receiver selected in the Kirk Ferentz era and first since Marvin McNutt, Jr. in 2012.
Smith-Marsette (6-foot-1, 179-pounds) is a native of Newark, NJ. He had 20 career starts and excelled on special teams as well as at wide receiver. Smith-Marsette earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors from league coaches and media in 2020, for both offense and special teams.
Smith-Marsette recorded 25 receptions for 345 yards and four touchdowns in eight games in 2020, leading the team in receiving yards and touchdown receptions. He also averaged 22 yards on eight kickoff returns.
Smith-Marsette averaged 28.7 yards on 53 career kickoff returns, a figure that ranks second all-time in the Big Ten Conference. His career totals include 1,520 kickoff return yards, 1,615 receiving yards (110 receptions, 14 TDs), and 274 rushing yards. He ranks 10th in program history with 3,409 career all-purpose yards.
Smith-Marsette led the Big Ten in kickoff returns in both 2018 and 2019, ranking second in the nation in 2018 and fourth nationally the following season. He recorded four career touchdowns on kickoff returns, including three as a junior in 2019.
Smith-Marsette was the offensive MVP of the 2019 Holiday Bowl as Iowa defeated Southern California, 49-24. In 2018 he was named the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year in the Big Ten and was named first-team All-Big Ten return specialist.
