Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 3-17@ Duke | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 28-24vs South Alabama | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 20-31@ Kansas State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#45
Ed Smith IV
Senior defensive lineman on Tulane's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 306 lb · Tuscaloosa, AL · Central HS
CFB Index 47 · #181 of 330 interior linemenLow confidenceTransferred South Alabama → Tulane for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move.
QB hurries: 79th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
0
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 tackles, at Duke
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive lineman on Tulane's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Alabama in 2021.
- Transferred from South Alabama to Tulane in 2026.
Ed Smith IV
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move. Three head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. The receipt on tape: 8 tackles against Duke, Week 1, 2026.
11 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
5 programs, one constant: he played.
2021
- Signed with South Alabama3-star out of Central Tuscaloosa
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2021–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Willie Fritz, Jon Sumrall, and Will Hall. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tulane
2025South Alabama
2026Tulane
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tulane | 11 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | South Alabama | 31 | 13 | 3.0 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | South Alabama | 23 | 10 | 3.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | South Alabama | 11 | 6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | South Alabama | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 78 | 34 | 8.0 | 3.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Ed Smith IV's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 28–24
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +1 tackle.
Season context · Team result + system
2021South Alabama5-7HC: Kane Wommack · Balanced
2022South Alabama10-3HC: Kane Wommack · Balanced
2024South Alabama7-6HC: Major Applewhite · Balanced
2025South Alabama4-8HC: Major Applewhite · Run-heavy
2026Tulane1-2HC: Will Hall · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
Concern: solo tackles (11th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
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.
Defensive profile
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
TFL rate
0%0 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksHurry rate
9%1 hurries11 tackles.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Hall
Pass share
47.9%
78 pass / 85 run
Plays / game
54.3
3 games
Team sack rate
10.6%
94 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
How he plays
Play style
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Nose Anchor
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
IDL
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Demarcus Elliott’s 2020 season.
92%match
Matches Demarcus on
Sack rate
Hurry rate
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Kevin Hester Jr.'s graduate season at North Carolina (2023).
Matches Kevin on
Class year
Sack rate
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like Ed Smith IV
Background
2026: An Athlon Preseason Third Team All-Conference selection as a defensive lineman....Named a Sports Info Solutions Preseason All-Conference selection as a defensive lineman Prior to Tulane: Spent six years at South Alabama…. Rated a three-star recruit by 247sports as a transfer…2025: Started…
The defensive line · Tulane
- #6Kameron Hamilton5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #45Ed Smith IV3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #10Gerrod Henderson1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #94Derrick Shepard1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #48Jah'rie Garner1 tackle for loss · 2025
15 more on the roster · Tulane team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology