Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 31-27@ Illinois | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
#4
Evan Smith
Senior cornerback for Duke. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
5′10″ · 185 lb · Birmingham, AL · Oak Mountain
CFB Index 41 · #348 of 537 safetiesLow confidenceTransferred Northwestern → Duke 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
interception · 2026
2 tackles
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 INT, 2 tackles, at Illinois
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 cornerback for Duke. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Northwestern in 2022.
- Transferred from Northwestern to Duke in 2026.
Evan Smith
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: David Braun and Manny Diaz. The receipt: 2 tackles, 1 INT against Illinois — Week 2, 2026.
2 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2022
- Signed with Northwestern3-star out of Oak Mountain
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
Trooper Taylor
Duke
Coaching transition mid-career: Trooper Taylor → Manny Diaz. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Duke
2025Northwestern
2026Duke
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Northwestern8-5HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2024Northwestern4-8HC: David Braun · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Northwestern7-6HC: David Braun · Run-leaning
2026Duke2-0HC: Manny Diaz · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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 1 game: 2.0 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
Manny Diaz
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2024
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
41 · #348 of 537 safeties
Three-star recruit. Now #348 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Duke | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Northwestern | 6 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Northwestern | 28 | 23 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Northwestern | 8 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 44 | 33 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 4 | 2 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 31–27
at Illinois
2 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 INT
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 4 on the road.
With W. Eget — 206 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 75.9 · -2 rush yds (1 car) · N. Sheppard — 147 rush yds (24 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CB
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Cameron Sidney’s 2024 season.
Matches Cameron on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Differs from Cameron on
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Cameron Sidney's sophomore season at California (2024).
Matches Cameron on
Class year
PD rate
Tackle volume
Player DNA
Players who play like Evan Smith
Background
2026: Graduate transfer from Northwestern ... two time Academic All-Big Ten honoree … in 32 career games (four starts), has registered 42 tackles, 2.5 TFL, one INT and four PBUs … registered 3+ tackles on seven occasions, 4+ tackles six times and a career-high five versus Indiana in 2024 ... car...
The secondary · Duke
- #8DaShawn Stone86 tackles · 2025
- #2Patrick Smith-Young70 tackles · 2025
- #3Landan Callahan42 tackles · 2025
- #5Kimari Robinson34 tackles · 2025
- #4Evan Smith6 tackles · 2025
12 more on the roster · Duke team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology