Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 49-14vs Western Kentucky | 14 | 9 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 14 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 7-20vs Montana State | 10 | 7 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 24 | 16 | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#2
EJ Smith
Senior linebacker for Nevada. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 243 lb · Downey, CA
Returning to Nevada for 2026
How he plays
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
Solo tackles: 99th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
24
tackles · 2026
3 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 10 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Montana State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Nevada. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Transferred from Stanford to Texas A&M in 2024.
EJ Smith
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. EJ Smith arrived at Texas A&M from Stanford. The receipt: 14 tackles, 1 TFL against Western Kentucky — Week 1, 2026.
24 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- portal record
- game log
His career
2024
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Nevada
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Jeff Choate — 4-10 over that span.
2025Nevada3-9HC: Jeff Choate · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Nevada1-1HC: Jeff Choate · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: solo tackles (99th percentile). Strength: tackles (98th 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: 12.0 TKL/g, 1.5 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
Jeff Choate
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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 49–14
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Nevada
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Nevada
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -7 net (14 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Nevada · Last season: 3-9 · Talent rank #118 · 2026 recruiting class #98
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Quentin Wilfawn’s 2023 season.
65%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Quentin on
TFL rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Quentin on
Hurry rate (lower)
Solo tackle rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Malachi Langley's sophomore season at Fresno State (2020).
86%match
All-Mountain West
Matches Malachi on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like EJ Smith
The linebacker corps · Nevada
- #1Jeremy Naborne35 tackles · 2025
- #2EJ Smith28 tackles · 2025
- #11Poasa Utu8 tackles · 2025
- #30Jake Silverman2 tackles · 2025
- #20Cody Wells1 tackle · 2025
6 more on the roster · Nevada team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology