Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 24-21vs Sam Houston | 4 | 2 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 34-17vs Alabama State | 5 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 9 | 6 | 2.5 | 2.0 | — | 1 |
#22
Donnie Smith
Senior defensive back on Troy's 2026 roster.
6′4″ · 234 lb · Greenville, MS · St. Joseph HS
CFB Index 93 · #7 of 420 edge rushersLow confidenceReturning to Troy 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.
Recruiting
3★
EDGE recruit
No. 38 nationally · Joined Troy
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive back on Troy's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Troy in 2025.
Donnie Smith
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes. This is his second year in the same secondary at Troy. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Sun Belt. The receipt on tape: 5 tackles, 1 sacks against Alabama State, Week 2, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 2 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- recognition record
- game log
His career
He was winning awards before he was old enough to be a story.
202514 games
- Signed with Troy3-star out of East Central C.C.
- All-Sun Beltfirst
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Troy
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🥈
ALL-SUN BELT · 1ST TEAM
All-Sun Belt 1st team (2025)
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Gerad Parker — 10-6 over that span.
2025Troy8-6HC: Gerad Parker · Balanced
2026Troy2-0HC: Gerad Parker · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Elite: qb hurries (99th percentile). Strength: sacks (97th 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: 4.5 TKL/g, 1.2 TFL/g, 1.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Gerad Parker
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
All-Conference 1st team
First team in his league at the position.
our read the All-Conference 1st team honor is earned — and the box score backs it up emphatically: #7 of 420 FBS edge rushers by CFB Index Score.2025 profile
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
93 · #7 of 420 edge rushers
Three-star recruit. Now #7 at the position.
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #1 of 17 Sun Belt DEs
How the All-Sun Belt estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. 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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 34–17
5 TOT · 4 SOLO · 1 SACKS
With E. Crenshaw — 46 AVG · 58 LONG · 3 NO · W. Crowder — 201 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 24.0 · -1 rush yds (5 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Troy
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Troy
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -13 net (14 in / 27 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Troy · Last season: 8-6 · Talent rank #96 · 2026 recruiting class #76
DNA match
Player DNA
Finisher
Turns pressure into sacks — when he gets there, he finishes.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jay Crable’s 2025 season.
71%match
All-MAC
Matches Jay on
TFL rate
Weight
Sack rate
Differs from Jay on
Class year (higher)
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Nikia Eason Jr.'s freshman season at UAB (2020).
87%match
Matches Nikia on
Height
Sack rate
Weight
Differs from Nikia on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Donnie Smith
Background
All-Sun Belt First Team (2025) 2025 (Junior): Named to the All-Sun Belt First Team … Led the Sun Belt and ranked eighth nationally with 11 sacks … Finished second nationally behind Texas Tech’s David Bailey with a sack in nine different games … Tied for fourth nationally with a half tackle for lo...
The secondary · Troy
- #6Justin Powe75 tackles · 2025
- #22Donnie Smith44 tackles · 2025
- #14Jonathan Pennix20 tackles · 2025
- #29Joe Lott16 tackles · 2025
- #1Jabari Strait4 tackles · 2025
17 more on the roster · Troy team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology