Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-3vs Tulane | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 31-27@ Illinois | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#2
Patrick Smith-Young
Senior safety on Duke's 2026 roster.
5′9″ · 184 lb · Sugar Land, TX · Clements
CFB Index 54 · #232 of 538 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Duke 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.
Recruiting
3★
CB recruit
No. 2124 nationally · Signed with North Texas
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety on Duke's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to North Texas in 2022.
Patrick Smith-Young
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Across three seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Seth Littrell, Eric Morris and Manny Diaz. One game to point at: 3 tackles against Illinois — Week 2, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with North Texas3-star out of Fort Bend Clements
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Mike Elko, Trooper Taylor, and Manny Diaz. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022North Texas7-7HC: Seth Littrell · Run-leaning
2023North Texas5-7HC: Eric Morris · Balanced, fast tempo
2026Duke2-0HC: Manny Diaz · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th 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.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 2 games: 3.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Manny Diaz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2023
Starter
Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
54 · #232 of 538 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #232 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Duke | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | North Texas | 70 | 46 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | North Texas | 2 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 78 | 49 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 31–27
at Illinois
3 TOT · 2 SOLO
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 4 on the road.
With W. Eget — 206 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 75.9 · -2 rush yds (1 car) · N. Sheppard — 147 rush yds (24 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Duke
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Duke
Returning around him
- 3 Duke players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +2 net (19 in / 17 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Duke · Last season: 9-5 · Talent rank #69 · 2026 recruiting class #71
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
S
His 2023 production profile sits closest to Cory McCoy’s 2021 season.
52%match
All-Conference USA
Matches Cory on
Tackle volume
PD rate
Weight
Differs from Cory on
TFL rate (lower)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Tevin Tucker's sophomore season at Kent State (2024).
Matches Tevin on
Tackle volume
PD rate
TFL rate
Differs from Tevin on
Class year (lower)
Height (lower)
Background
2026: Graduate transfer from North Texas ... a three-year member (2022-23, 25) of the Mean Green program while spending the 2024 campaign at Old Dominion … in 39 career games (25 starts), has compiled 194 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 1.0 sack, one INT, two caused fumbles, three fumble recoveries and five PB...
The secondary · Duke
- #8DaShawn Stone86 tackles · 2025
- #2Patrick Smith-Young70 tackles · 2025
- #3Landan Callahan42 tackles · 2025
- #5Kimari Robinson34 tackles · 2025
- #2Patrick Smith-Young2 games · 2026
12 more on the roster · Duke team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology