Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 49-3vs Alcorn State | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 8-43@ Auburn | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 20-48vs UConn | 5 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 9 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 |
#41
Will Smith
Will Smith chose Southern Miss out of the portal; now both sides find out if they chose right.
6′2″ · 240 lb · Choctaw, OK · Choctaw HS
Transferred North Texas → Southern Miss for 2026
The numbers
0.5
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 0.5 sacks, 0.5 TFL, 3 tackles, vs Alcorn State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore defensive lineman for Southern Miss. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Tulsa in 2023.
- Transferred from North Texas to Southern Miss in 2026.
Buzz vs Tape
Country hotter than the fans
The wider college football conversation reads him warmer than his own fans do — a gap of 18.5 points in belief.
20.7own fans
39.2national conversation
Keenan Jackson is looking like Will Smith in the empty living room from Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Who's going to step up to be the leading WR this Fall? Photo: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Everydayer Club If you never miss an episode, it’s…
Also worth knowing:
Will Smith
On Trialas of 2026-09-22
Will Smith arrives at Southern Miss with a new fit to prove and an old chapter behind him.
9TACKLES0.5SACKS
Southern Miss fans can't agree whether the tape backs the reputation.
medium confidence8 sources
Minority viewA vocal minority sees it the other way.
Read the story so far
AI-generated narrative · may contain errors · not journalism · updated 2026-09-22
His career
2023
- Signed with Tulsa3-star out of Northside
20244 games
- Signed with Tulsa3-star out of Choctaw
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 · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
Reed Stringer
Southern Miss
Coaching transition mid-career: Reed Stringer → Blake Anderson. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Southern Miss
2025North Texas
2026Southern Miss
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 9 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Tulsa | 5 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 14 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Will Smith'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 1 · 2026
W 49–3
vs Alcorn State
0.5 sacks · 0.5 tackles for loss · 3 tackles
Dominant 46-point win at home against Alcorn State.
With M. Johnson — 13 rush yds (1 car) · E. Hampton — 180 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · 15 rush yds (3 car)
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +5 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2024Tulsa3-9HC: Kevin Wilson · Balanced
2026Southern Miss1-2HC: Blake Anderson · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 4.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Blake Anderson
Pass share
52.7%
127 pass / 114 run
Plays / game
80.3
3 games
Team sack rate
2.5%
121 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, fast tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Background
2025 (So.): Appeared in four games at North Texas…Preserved a redshirt season….2024 (Fr.): Appeared in six games at Tulsa…Tallied five tackles and a tackle for loss with the Hurricane…High School: Was a three-year letterwinner at Choctaw High School in Choctaw, Oklahoma…Earned All-District…
The defensive line · Southern Miss
- #5JJ Hawkins5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #16Jameer Lewis4.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #36Brodarius Lewis3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #7Isaiah Gibson Sr.1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #41Will Smith3 games · 2026
26 more on the roster · Southern Miss team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology