#48

Carter Smith

LB · Illinois · Fr. · #48

Returning to Illinois for 2026
Rolling Meadows, Ill. → Fremd
via fightingillini.com ↗

The record

1 tackles · vs Wisconsin
Week 13, 2025

Carter Smith didn't allow a sack. He became the first Indiana player ever named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, and PFF rates him the No. 1 returning tackle in the country. He gave up a Day 2 draft slot to run it back.

Smith's 2025 was as clean as it gets at left tackle: zero sacks allowed in the regular season, an 88.8 PFF grade across 372 pass-blocking snaps, and the first Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year award in Indiana history. PFF now ranks him the No. 1 returning offensive tackle in the country. A four-year starter, he passed up a projected Day 2 draft slot to take his final year. The forward stakes are a program's ceiling: Indiana's Playoff push runs through a blindside that, with Smith on it, is among the most secure in the sport. The most accomplished returning tackle in college football headlines a Hoosier line built to contend.

How he plays

Smith is a pass-protection technician first — the cleanest profile a tackle can have. The numbers are the argument: zero sacks allowed and an 88.8 PFF grade over nearly 400 pass-blocking snaps, the kind of season that doesn't happen by accident. He's a four-year starter with the footwork and anchor to handle Big Ten edge speed and power, and PFF's No. 1 returning-tackle ranking reflects a player without an obvious hole. The blindside is the most important real estate on an offense, and Smith makes it a non-issue — which is exactly why a Playoff-hopeful line is built around him.

2026 outlook · as of 2026-06-13
src
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology