Ben Smiley III
Ben Smiley III
Wins his gap play after play. Across five seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Bronco Mendenhall, Tony Elliott and Jim Mora. One game to point at: 4 tackles against Buffalo — Week 5, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jason Candle
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 1 · 2-deepR04 · Rotational
Rotational. Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Career stats
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
UConn
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · UConn
Returning around him
- 1 UConn player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +8 net (53 in / 45 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
UConn · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #97 · 2026 recruiting class #110
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Toby Ndukwe’s 2020 season.
Matches Toby on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.