Sophomore linebacker for UTEP. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 215 lb · El Paso, TX
The numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 0.5 TFL, at Oklahoma
The play that turned itSwung UTEP from 48% to 81% to win.Kennesaw State at UTEP · 43-35
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore linebacker for UTEP. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Shay Smith
He has spent three seasons in the UTEP linebacker corps. One game to point at: 4 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Michigan — Week 3, 2026.
11 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Scotty Walden.
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-51@ Oklahoma | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 51-10vs Texas Southern | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 17-52@ Michigan | 4 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 11 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 51–10
Since week 2: +4 tackles, +0.5 tackles for loss.
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Scotty Walden — 6-21 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: solo tackles (2nd percentile).
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 · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 4.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Scotty Walden
Pass share
34.4%
54 pass / 103 run
Plays / game
52.3
3 games
Team sack rate
15.4%
65 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
The No. 1,682 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Mountain West as a sophomore.
4 more on the roster · UTEP team page