#24

Derrick Smith

Senior linebacker for Western Kentucky. 2022: 89 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.

LB · Western Kentucky · Sr. · #24

6′2″ · 220 lb · Jacksonville, FL

CFB Index 74 · #88 of 548 LBsHigh confidenceAll-ConferenceWestern Kentucky 2022 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

WR recruit

No. 904 nationally · Signed with Miami

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 linebacker for Western Kentucky. 2022: 89 tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 3 sacks.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Miami in 2017.
Transferred from Illinois to Western Kentucky in 2022.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Western Kentucky, 152 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

20175 games

Signed with Miami3-star out of Trinity Christian Academy

202213 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal
All-Conference USAhonorable_mention

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#904 national

CFB

College

3 teams

2017–2022

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

1 honor

🎖

ALL-CONFERENCE USA

All-Conference USA mention (2022)

Coaching lineage · 2017–2022

2 coaches

2017–2018

Mike Sanford Jr.

Western Kentucky

2020–2022

Tyson Helton

Western Kentucky

era →

Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Sanford Jr. → Tyson Helton. Worth noting in scheme + development context.

2022 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2017Miami10-3HC: Mark Richt · Balanced

2018Miami7-6HC: Mark Richt · Run-leaning

2020Illinois2-6HC: Rod Smith · Run-heavy

2021Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning

2022Western Kentucky9-5HC: Tyson Helton · Pass-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

74Quality starter #88 of 548?

High confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (98th percentile). Strength: tackles (97th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (24th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Solo tackles#43 / 2755 · 98th pct

Tackles#90 / 2755 · 97th pct

Sacks#341 / 2755 · 86th pct

3.0

Tackles for loss#400 / 2755 · 84th pct

6.0

Passes defended#744 / 2755 · 66th pct

Forced fumbles#58 / 737 · 46th pct

Interceptions#321 / 811 · 30th pct

QB hurries#1444 / 2755 · 24th pct

Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.

Splits & context

Splits · Per-game

2022 season · 13 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	5.3	0.3	0.3	0.0
Road7g	8.1	0.6	0.1	0.3

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-77g	6.7	0.6	0.3	0.1
Weeks 8+6g	7.0	0.3	0.2	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Tyson Helton

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2022

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

74 · #88 of 548 LBs

Three-star recruit. Now #88 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2022	Western Kentucky	89	56	6.0	3.0	2	1	--
2021	Illinois	17	10	1.0	0.0	--	--	--
2020	Illinois	22	15	1.0	0.0	--	--	--
2018	Miami	11	6	0.5	0.0	--	--	--
2017	Miami	13	10	1.0	0.0	--	--	--
Career		152	97	9.5	3.0	2	1	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2022

W 38–27

vs Austin Peay

3 SOLO · 5 TOT

With T. Ellard — 1 SOLO · 1 TOT · 45 AVG · A. Reed — 279 yds · 4 TD · 1 INT · QBR 76.5 · 6 rush yds (2 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2022 season · 13 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 38-27vs Austin Peay	5	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 1	W 49-17@ Hawai'i	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 3	L 30-33@ Indiana	12	8	2.0	1.0	—	0	Season-high 12 tackles
Wk 4	W 73-0vs Florida International	2	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 27-34vs Troy	7	7	1.0	1.0	1	0
Wk 6	L 28-31@ UTSA	10	6	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 7	W 35-17@ Middle Tennessee	8	6	0.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 8	W 20-17vs UAB	5	2	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 9	L 13-40vs North Texas	5	4	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 59-7@ Charlotte	8	3	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 11	W 45-10vs Rice	8	4	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 17-41@ Auburn	7	6	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 32-31@ Florida Atlantic	9	3	0.0	0.0	—	1
Total		89	56	6.0	3.0	1	2

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology