Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 70-7vs Morgan State | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 20-48@ Texas A&M | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#10
Clayton Smith
Senior defensive lineman for Arizona State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 260 lb · Queen City, TX · Texas High
CFB Index 27 · #343 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceReturning to Arizona State for 2026
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
The numbers
1
sack · 2026
1 TFL · 2 tackles · 1 hurries
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 tackles, vs Morgan State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman for Arizona State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Oklahoma in 2021.
- Transferred from Oklahoma to Arizona State in 2023.
Clayton Smith
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Three head coaches in six seasons, at two different programs. One game to point at: 1 tackles against Texas A&M — Week 2, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 6 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20213 games
- Signed with Oklahoma4-star out of Texas High
20238 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2021–2026
2 coaches2021–2022
Arizona State
Coaching transition mid-career: Herm Edwards → Kenny Dillingham. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2021Oklahoma11-2HC: Bob Stoops · Balanced
2022Oklahoma6-7HC: Brent Venables · Run-leaning, fast tempo
2023Arizona State3-9HC: Kenny Dillingham · Balanced
2024Arizona State11-3HC: Kenny Dillingham · Run-leaning
2025Arizona State8-5HC: Kenny Dillingham · Balanced
2026Arizona State1-1HC: Kenny Dillingham · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidenceFading
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). Strength: qb hurries (83rd percentile). 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 splits
Through 2 games: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kenny Dillingham
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
27 · #343 of 420 edge rushers
Former four-star. Now #343 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #29 of 35 Big 12 DLs
How the All-Big 12 estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arizona State | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Arizona State | 19 | 11 | 6.5 | 4.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Arizona State | 33 | 16 | 6.0 | 2.5 | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Arizona State | 21 | 9 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Oklahoma | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | Oklahoma | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 83 | 41 | 20.5 | 12.0 | 5 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 70–7
vs Morgan State
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Arizona State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Arizona State
Returning around him
- 4 Arizona State players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +3 net (24 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Arizona State · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #45 · 2026 recruiting class #40
DNA match
Player DNA
3-Tech Penetrator
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Beau Atkinson’s 2024 season.
86%match
Matches Beau on
TFL rate
Sack rate
Hurry rate
Differs from Beau on
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Tramel Logan Jr.'s graduate season at Louisville (2024).
80%match
Matches Tramel on
Hurry rate
Weight
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Clayton Smith
The defensive line · Arizona State
- #99C.J. Fite6.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #10Clayton Smith6.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #4Emar'Rion Winston6 tackles for loss · 2025
- #9Jalen Thompson5.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #97Blazen Lono-Wong1 tackle for loss · 2025
15 more on the roster · Arizona State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology