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Draft:Jaylen Smith (American football, born 2002)

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Jaylen Smith (born March 1, 2002) is a Canadian football player who plays as an outside linebacker[1] for the University of North Texas.[1][2] He began his collegiate career as a preferred walk-on, gradually moving up through special teams to secure a scholarship and a starting role.[2][3][4][5][6]

Early life and education

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Smith was born in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, and attended St. Thomas More Catholic Secondary School, where he began developing his football skills.[1] During high school, he played for the U16 Canada and Ontario Football teams, earning recognition as the Special Teams Player of the Tournament.[7] Smith spent a post-graduate year at St. Thomas More Prep School in Oakdale, Connecticut[7], after completing his junior year at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.[8] He continued both his academic and athletic pursuits at the University of North Texas[1], joining the football team in 2021.[4][9][7][10]

Career

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Smith started his collegiate football career in 2021, playing 13 games primarily on special teams and recording 14 tackles, leading UNT with 12 special teams tackles.[3][9][11] Notable contributions included two tackles against UTSA and three tackles at FIU.[9][11] In his sophomore season in 2022, he played in all 14 games[12], recording 15 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss (TFL)[9], while continuing his role on special teams. Key performances included two tackles and a TFL against Texas Southern and four tackles with a TFL in a win against FIU.[2][5][9][11][13]

His standout performance came in the season opener against the University of California[11], Berkeley, where he recorded nine tackles, 1.5 TFLs, a forced fumble, and a quarterback hurry. He concluded the year with a half-sack in the season finale against UAB. [2][5][9][11][14][15][10][16]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Jaylen Smith Height, Weight, Position, Hometown, Bio - NCAA College Football". FOX Sports. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  2. ^ a b c d "Jaylen Smith - Football". University of North Texas Athletics. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  3. ^ a b "Jaylen Smith, North Texas Mean Green, LB - News, Stats, Bio". CBSSports.com. 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  4. ^ a b "Abbott's 2021 NCAA All-Canadians: Defence". 18 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b c "Jaylen Smith makes timely sack vs. North Texas - ESPN Video". ESPN.com. 2023-11-25. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  6. ^ Writer, Brett Vito Staff (2024-11-27). "Jaylen Smith left Canada to chase college football dream and ended up a star at UNT". KTEN. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  7. ^ a b c footballcanada (2017-11-28). "Get to know U16 East All Star Team Defensive Back Jaylen Smith!". Football Canada. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  8. ^ CollegeNetWorth (2024-10-18). "Jaylen Smith – North Texas NIL Deals, Net Worth, Player Information". CollegeNetWorth.com. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  9. ^ a b c d e f "Jaylen Smith - North Texas Mean Green Linebacker". ESPN. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  10. ^ a b "Tulane Green Wave Defensive Stars to Watch vs. North Texas Mean Green". Tulane Green Wave On SI. 2024-10-24. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  11. ^ a b c d e "TOP 2021 FOOTBALL RECRUIT ATH 6'0,203LBS JAYLEN SMITH ST.THOMAS MORE (CANADA) ALL-AMERICAN BOWL REPORT". SCOUT TROUT ELITE. Retrieved 2024-09-30.
  12. ^ Writer, Brett Vito Staff (2024-11-21). "Brian Odom has made an impact in a short time at UNT, which is turning to him to save year as DC". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  13. ^ Writer, Brett Vito Staff (2024-11-08). "North Texas Gameday: Army star QB Bryson Daily, UNT coach Eric Morris share deep ties". Denton Record-Chronicle. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  14. ^ "Jaylen Smith - Latest news and Profile".
  15. ^ footballcanada (2017-08-16). "2017 Under-16 East Challenge All-Star Roster announced". Football Canada. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  16. ^ "Jaylen Smith, St. Thomas More , Cornerback". 247Sports. Retrieved 2024-12-03.