Smith holds a Rivals rating of 92, placing him firmly among the elite prospects in the 2027 class. Ranked No. 31 nationally, he\u2019s the No. 2 defensive end in the country and the No. 2 overall player in his state, a rare blend of regional dominance and national stature. <\/p>\n
That combination of positional value and top-tier athletic profile makes him one of the most coveted edge defenders in the cycle, with programs across the country taking notice of his explosive rise.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
2027 four-star quarterback Trae Taylor with Nebraska football coach Matt Rhule before the 2024 Rutgers game. \/ @Qb6Trae on X<\/p>\n
Smith\u2019s production matches his elite recruiting profile. In his most recent season, he racked up 156 total tackles <\/a>in 21 games, including 92 solo stops, averaging 7.4 tackles per game. His disruptive presence off the edge was felt throughout, as he posted 17.5 sacks, forced one fumble, and recovered two more. That level of impact, both in pursuit and in finishing plays, underscores why Smith is one of the most coveted defensive ends in the 2027 class.<\/p>\n The Los Angeles, California, native is a strong fit at Nebraska thanks to his physical traits, disruptive production, and alignment with the Huskers\u2019 defensive identity and recruiting strategy.<\/p>\n Built for Big Ten trench warfare, Smith brings the kind of size and production that Nebraska craves in its defensive front. At 6-foot-3, 285 pounds, he offers positional flexibility, capable of lining up inside or crashing off the edge, giving the Huskers multiple options in their pressure packages. He offers a rare blend of power and explosiveness, with the motor and finishing instincts to thrive in Nebraska\u2019s aggressive, hybrid defensive scheme.<\/p>\n Whether as a 4i in a three-man front or a strongside end in a four-man look, Smith\u2019s power and agility make him a plug-and-play candidate for multiple roles.<\/p>\n Nebraska Recruiting Board graphic. \/ Trevor Tarr<\/p>\n Nebraska\u2019s recruiting strategy has taken a bold turn westward, with a focused push into Southern California that includes early offers to Smith and his teammate Elija Harmon<\/a>. By identifying Smith early and backing it up with a strong presence, highlighted by his visit to Lincoln for the USC game, the Huskers have positioned themselves as a serious contender. That early attention and relationship-building could prove pivotal as Smith\u2019s recruitment gains national traction.<\/p>\n Smith is still ascending as a prospect, with scouts consistently highlighting his physicality and long-term upside as he sharpens his technique. That developmental trajectory aligns well with Nebraska\u2019s track record of molding trench talent into high-impact contributors. With raw tools that suggest elite potential, Smith represents the kind of high-ceiling defender the Huskers can groom into a future Blackshirt anchor. <\/p>\n If Nebraska can maintain momentum and deepen the relationship, Smith could be a foundational piece in the 2027 class, both as a pass-rushing force and a recruiting domino.<\/p>\n Stay up to date on all things Huskers by bookmarking\u00a0Nebraska Cornhuskers On SI<\/a>,\u00a0subscribing to\u00a0HuskerMax on YouTube<\/a>, and visiting\u00a0HuskerMax.com<\/a>\u00a0daily.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Nebraska\u2019s defensive recruiting momentum continues to build, and the Huskers may be out in front for one of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":286121,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[399,398,396,397,99],"class_list":{"0":"post-286120","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-ncaa-football","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-ncaa","10":"tag-ncaa-football","11":"tag-ncaafootball","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286120","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=286120"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/286120\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/286121"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=286120"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=286120"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=286120"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}<\/p>\n