TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- Alabama lists wide receiver DeVonta Smith at 6-foot-1, 175 pounds.

That might be a bit of a stretch.

But his smaller frame hasn’t kept Smith from being one of the nation’s best receivers this fall.

“Smitty’s like 160,” wide receiver Jaylen Waddle said, “but he can put it on defenders.”

Smith caught two touchdowns in the Crimson Tide’s 66-3 win over Western Carolina this past weekend, giving him 13 for the season. That touchdown total is tied for fourth place nationally. His 1,120 receiving yards in 11 games rank seventh in the country, while his 101.8 receiving yards per game are tied for 10th. He leads the nation with 703 yards after the catch.

From an SEC standpoint, the Amite, La., native ranks second in receiving touchdowns, receiving yards and receiving yards per game behind LSU’s JaMarr Chase, fourth in yards per reception (18.67) and seventh in receptions (60) and receptions per game (5.5).

Although he wasn’t among the three finalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which is annually given to the top receiver in the country, his teammates know Smith is one of the best at his position.

“If you don’t know DeVonta Smith’s name by now, if you still think he’s one of the lesser receivers or the third receiver in the corps, you probably need to wake up,” safety Jared Mayden said. “He runs his routes, he doesn’t take a lot of time running his routes, he gets into his routes. He blocks. He finishes runs. He competes. He goes out and competes in practice, too.

“His hands, his jumping I mean Smitty, he’s one of the top receivers in the nation.”

Smith has regularly been asked about his success on the field this season, but he always points to wanting to win on the scoreboard instead of his contribution to the postgame box score.

Alabama wide receiver DeVonta Smith

The once-forgotten member of Alabama’s Ryde Outs, Smith has produced impressive numbers this fall, but even more than stats, it’s his ability to play bigger than he is that stands out.

“I think that’s something that’s always been with me,” Smith said. “Growing up, always playing with older people, I think it came naturally to me. I do try to play physical. Nobody wants to go out there and get bullied around. I know that’s true for a lot of teams, trying to say I’m not the biggest guy and they try to bully me, but I’m not going for it.”

Added safety Xavier McKinney, “A lot of people probably wouldn’t think that he’s like a super tough guy. He’s not really big, he’s pretty skinny. But he’s a physical guy. He’s a competitor, so he’s one of those guys he doesn’t really care who’s lined up in front of him or who he has to run a route on or who he has to block, he’s going to make sure he gets the job done.”

Head coach Nick Saban said as much after last weekend’s game against Western Carolina.

“Even though he’s a thin-built guy, he’s really not frail, doesn’t play frail, doesn’t play weak. He plays strong,” Saban said. “He’s got a combination of pretty good quickness and pretty good explosive speed and is a very competitive guy, and I think he uses all those things really, really well. But the way he plays -- some guys are bigger than him but they play small.

“He doesn’t play small at all. I think it’s just who he is as a competitor and as a person, and that’s the way he’s always been and that’s the way he’s always played. He doesn’t have any issues. He doesn’t get pushed around much.”

Smith and the Crimson Tide receivers will face an Auburn secondary this weekend that will use four players listed as under 6-foot, but every defensive back on the Tigers’ two-deep outweighs Alabama’s leading receiver. Auburn’s passing defense ranks seventh in the SEC by allowing its opponents 196.9 passing yards per game and 14 touchdowns to seven interceptions.

Texas A&M and LSU amassed 300-plus passing yards in their games with Auburn, while both Chase and Jhamon Ausbon recorded 100-yard games versus the Tigers. Smith and his fellow receivers will look to do the same this weekend, but the talented wideout expects a challenge.

“They’re real long and they’re real physical at the line, so just working releases and being more physical at the line with them,” Smith said. “(It takes) the will to do it, just wanting to do it.”

Contact Charlie Potter by 247Sports' personal messaging or on Twitter (@Charlie_Potter).