VMI · W 73-3 · FCS
No tackles.
Smith has tackles in 7 of Virginia Tech’s 8 games: none against VMI.
“DQ Smith has yet to lose in this building”
3 stories in the last 30 days, from 4 outlets.
Safety DQ Smith making most of fifth season at Virginia Tech
Richmond Times-Dispatch +1 Oct 22
DQ Smith
Played for two head coaches at two programs in five seasons: Shane Beamer and James Franklin. On tape: 6 tackles against Georgia Tech, Week 7, 2026.
19 tackles · 0 sacks
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
from 4 outlets
Safety DQ Smith making most of fifth season at Virginia Tech
Richmond Times-Dispatch +1 Oct 22 · 2 outlets
from 17 outlets
DQ Smith’s addition a ‘tremendous opportunity’ for Virginia Tech football
Lynchburg News and Advance +3 Sep 2 · 4 outlets
Sports IllustratedVirginia Tech Earns Commitment From South Carolina DB DQ SmithSep 1
The Roanoke TimesHokies' Franklin on addition of DQ SmithSep 2
The Daily Progress +1Hokies post-practice report: DQ Smith expected to contribute on defense this weekendSep 9
The Key PlayDQ Smith at Virginia Tech Practice, Grunkemeyer Set for VMISep 3The Roanoke TimesVirginia Tech reportedly adds safety DQ Smith to rosterSep 1
The Tech Lunch PailDQ Smith Goes From the End of His College Career to One More Chance…Sep 16Richmond Times-Dispatch +1The Key PlayThe Daily Progress +1Lynchburg News and Advance +3
The Greenville NewsEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories we tracked, by school.
Virginia Tech25 stories2026 to nowMost about: recruiting, camp and practice, profile and feature.
Lynchburg News and Advance +3DQ Smith’s addition a ‘tremendous opportunity’ for Virginia Tech footballSep 2The Greenville News +1South Carolina's DQ Smith enters transfer portal after getting extra year, per reportAug 23
Saturday Down SouthFormer South Carolina safety DQ Smith commits to ACC programSep 1
South Carolina2022 to 2025not trackedStories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Nov 4.
Fans first named DQ Smith vs Old Dominion.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Virginia Tech | 19 | 12 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | South Carolina | 64 | 47 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2024 | South Carolina | 37 | 20 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 |
| 2023 | South Carolina | 73 | 34 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 |
| 2022 | South Carolina | 49 | 38 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 6 | 2 |
| Career | 242 | 151 | 5.5 | 1.5 | 12 | 5 |
Last game (Wk 8): 1 tackle.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 7 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 44-21vs Old Dominion | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-26@ Maryland | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 21-14@ Boston College | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 33-35vs Pittsburgh | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | L 20-25@ California | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 34-24vs Georgia Tech | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 8 | W 20-16@ Clemson | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 19 | 12 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
Ratings of the games shown run from -15 to +8 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
0%0 pass breakupsTackle volume
19tackles this seasonTFL rate
5%1 TFL19 tackles · 1 for loss.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 7 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 3.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road4g | 2.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 3.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
James Franklin
Pass share
48.9%
277 pass / 289 run
Plays / game
70.8
8 games
Team sack rate
9.0%
290 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer tackles a game than most FBS defensive backs who play every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #486 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 54 games over five seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesPlayed for 2 head coaches at 2 schools: Shane Beamer and James Franklin.
Next stop · Transfer
Transferred to Virginia Tech
