#7

Kendall Smith

DB · Illinois · Sr. · #7

Illinois 2022 alumnus
This season's coverage starts August 26 — check back once kickoff hits.

Kendall Smith

DB · Illinois · Sr · #7

Limited signal — not enough coverage for a story yet.

Career Arc

HS
Recruit
★★★
#985 national
CFB
College
Illinois
2021–2022
NFL
NFL Draft
Not drafted

2025 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2021Illinois5-7HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning
2022Illinois8-5HC: Bret Bielema · Run-leaning

Career stats

SeasonTeam
2022Illinois34210.00.065--
2021Illinois1380.00.0------
Career47290.00.065--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 5 · 2022

W 34–10

at Wisconsin

2 TOT  ·  2 SOLO  ·  1 INT

Dominant 24-point win on the road against Wisconsin.

How he plays

Play style

Erases the deep middle of the field.

CFB Index positional classification

DNA match

Player DNA

Centerfielder

Single-high range who erases the deep middle of the field.

S

His 2022 production profile sits closest to Azizi Hearn’s 2021 season.

Azizi Hearn

84%match

Wyoming · 2021

#2

Azizi Hearn

UCLA · 2022

84%
#3

Corey Thornton

UCF · 2022

79%
#4

Dominick Hill

Temple · 2022

76%
#5

Ambe' Caldwell

Miami (OH) · 2022

75%

Matches Azizi on

TFL rate
Weight
PD rate

Not enough data yet for this comparison.

As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kyu Blu Kelly's junior season at Stanford (2022).

Stanford · 2022

NFL Rd 5
#2

Corey Thornton

UCF · 2022

89%
#3

Izaiah Guy

Georgia State · 2024

86%
#4

Azizi Hearn

UCLA · 2022

86%
#5

Tony Grimes

North Carolina · 2022

84%

Matches Kyu on

Class year
Height
PD rate

Heisman trajectory

Heisman futures · sportsbook market

#8 in market ▼ from #6 · 4 books

+10009.1% implied