Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 3-17@ Duke | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 28-24vs South Alabama | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#45
Ed Smith IV
Senior defensive lineman on Tulane's 2026 roster.
6′3″ · 306 lb · Tuscaloosa, AL · Central HS
CFB Index 47 · #181 of 330 interior linemenLow confidenceTransferred South Alabama → Tulane 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.
How he plays
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move.
QB hurries: 83rd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
0
sacks · 2026
10 tackles · 1 hurries
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 tackles, at Duke
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 defensive lineman on Tulane's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to South Alabama in 2021.
- Transferred from South Alabama to Tulane in 2026.
Ed Smith IV
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move. Three head coaches in five seasons, at two different programs. The receipt on tape: 8 tackles against Duke, Week 1, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
4 programs, one constant: he played.
2021
- Signed with South Alabama3-star out of Central Tuscaloosa
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2021–2026
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Willie Fritz, Jon Sumrall, and Will Hall. Multi-era developmental context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tulane
2025South Alabama
2026Tulane
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2021South Alabama5-7HC: Kane Wommack · Balanced
2022South Alabama10-3HC: Kane Wommack · Balanced
2024South Alabama7-6HC: Major Applewhite · Balanced
2025South Alabama4-8HC: Major Applewhite · Run-heavy
2026Tulane1-1HC: Will Hall · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
Elite: qb hurries (83rd percentile). Concern: solo tackles (7th 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: 5.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Hall
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tulane | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | South Alabama | 31 | 13 | 3.0 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | South Alabama | 23 | 10 | 3.5 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | South Alabama | 11 | 6 | 1.5 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2021 | South Alabama | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 77 | 33 | 8.0 | 3.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 28–24
Game log
How he plays
Play style
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Nose Anchor
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
IDL
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Se'Von Pittman’s 2016 season.
91%match
Matches Se'Von on
TFL rate
Height
Sack rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Kevin Hester Jr.'s graduate season at North Carolina (2023).
Matches Kevin on
Class year
Sack rate
Weight
Player DNA
Players who play like Ed Smith IV
Background
2026: An Athlon Preseason Third Team All-Conference selection as a defensive lineman....Named a Sports Info Solutions Preseason All-Conference selection as a defensive lineman Prior to Tulane: Spent six years at South Alabama…. Rated a three-star recruit by 247sports as a transfer…2025: Started a...
The defensive line · Tulane
- #6Kameron Hamilton5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #45Ed Smith IV3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #10Gerrod Henderson1.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #94Derrick Shepard1 tackle for loss · 2025
- #48Jah'rie Garner1 tackle for loss · 2025
15 more on the roster · Tulane team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology