Akeem Smith

Senior defensive lineman for Sam Houston. 2023: 1 sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, 16 tackles.

DL · Sam Houston · Sr.

6′0″ · 300 lb · Richmond, VA

CFB Index 30 · #322 of 418 edge rushersLow confidenceSam Houston 2023 alumnus

Recruiting

3★

DT recruit

No. 1627 nationally · Signed with Georgia State

No college snaps yet.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 defensive lineman for Sam Houston. 2023: 1 sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, 16 tackles.

Signed as a 3-star recruit to Georgia State in 2018.
Transferred from Georgia State to Sam Houston in 2023.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Six seasons at Sam Houston, 4 sacks — his college career is complete.

His career

He was on the field for 6 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.

20184 games

Signed with Georgia State3-star out of Catholic

202310 games

The role got bigger.

Entered the portal

Career arc

Recruit

★★★

#1627 national

CFB

College

2 teams

2018–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2018–2023

1 coach

2018–2022

—

Sam Houston

2023

K.C. Keeler

Sam Houston

era →

Played his entire career under K.C. Keeler.

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2018Georgia State2-10HC: Shawn Elliott · Run-leaning

2019Georgia State7-6HC: Shawn Elliott · Run-heavy

2020Georgia State6-4HC: Shawn Elliott · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2021Georgia State8-5HC: Shawn Elliott · Run-heavy

2022Georgia State4-8HC: Shawn Elliott · Run-heavy

2023Sam Houston3-9HC: K.C. Keeler · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

30Below cohort / limited sample #322 of 418?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Concern: passes defended (19th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Sacks#847 / 2842 · 62nd pct

1.0

QB hurries#902 / 2842 · 58th pct

Tackles for loss#1231 / 2842 · 54th pct

2.5

Interceptions#323 / 827 · 31st pct

Tackles#2234 / 2842 · 20th pct

Solo tackles#2200 / 2842 · 20th pct

Passes defended#1751 / 2842 · 19th pct

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

2023 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	1.4	0.3	0.2	0.0
Road5g	1.8	0.2	0.0	0.0

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	1.8	0.3	0.2	0.0
Weeks 8+4g	1.2	0.1	0.0	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Phil Longo

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Rotational

Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

30 · #322 of 418 edge rushers

Three-star recruit. Now #322 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	Sam Houston	16	8	2.5	1.0	--	1	--
2022	Georgia State	9	4	1.0	0.0	--	--	--
2021	Georgia State	17	10	2.5	1.5	--	--	--
2020	Georgia State	22	13	4.0	0.5	1	--	--
2019	Georgia State	1	--	0.0	0.0	--	--	--
2018	Georgia State	7	--	0.5	0.5	--	--	--
Career		72	35	10.5	3.5	1	1	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 10 · 2023

W 24–21

vs Kennesaw State

1 TOT

A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.

With K. Shoemaker — 242 yds · 3 TD · 1 INT · QBR 20.2 · -1 rush yds (12 car) · N. Smith — 13 rush yds (1 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	Note
Wk 1	L 0-14@ BYU	2	2	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 2	L 3-13vs Air Force	2	2	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 4	L 7-38@ Houston	2	0	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 5	L 28-35vs Jacksonville State	1	1	1.0	1.0	—
Wk 6	L 16-21@ Liberty	1	1	1.0	0.0	—
Wk 7	L 13-27@ New Mexico State	3	1	0.0	0.0	—	Season-high 3 tackles
Wk 8	L 27-33vs Florida International	2	1	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 10	W 24-21vs Kennesaw State	1	0	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 11	W 42-27@ Louisiana Tech	1	0	0.0	0.0	—
Wk 13	W 23-20vs Middle Tennessee	1	0	0.5	0.0	1
Total		16	8	2.5	1.0	1

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology