Michael Smith Jr.: DL · Eastern Michigan · #57.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Michael Smith Jr.
Controls the point of attack and doesn't move. Three seasons in the Eastern Michigan defensive front to date. A game that shows it: 4 tackles against Ohio — Week 11, 2021.
Play style
The heaviest frame on the interior. Sack production is intentionally not the point of this profile.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
23 tackles. 0 passes defended. 1 interception. 1.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
No outlet on our list has written about this player by name this season.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Eastern Michigan | 27 | 10 | 2.0 | 1.5 | 1 |
| 2020 | Eastern Michigan | 13 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- |
| 2019 | Eastern Michigan | 11 | 5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- |
| Career | 51 | 21 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1 |
Game log · Week-by-week
2021 season · 9 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | L 7-34@ No. 18 Wisconsin | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 59-21vs Texas State | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 20-27@ Northern Illinois | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 13-12vs Miami (OH) | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 31-38vs Ball State | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | W 52-49@ Toledo | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 26-34vs Ohio | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 12 | W 22-21vs Western Michigan | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | L 10-31@ Central Michigan | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 23 | 9 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 |
Week 10 · 2021
W 52-49
at Toledo
1 sack · 1 tackle for loss · 1 tackle
Edged out Toledo on the road in a shootout.
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
TFL rate
7%2 TFLSack rate
6%2 sacksHurry rate
0%0 hurries27 tackles · 2 for loss · 1.5 sacks · 1 interception.
3 seasons under Chris Creighton — 15-17 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2021 season · 9 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 2.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road4g | 2.5 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 2.4 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+4g | 2.8 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Chris Creighton
Pass share
50.3%
455 pass / 449 run
Plays / game
75.3
12 games
Team sack rate
8.1%
492 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, fast tempo.
Player standing · 2021
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive lineman who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
How it ended
Three seasons at Eastern Michigan, 2 sacks — the college career is complete.
Coaching lineage · 2017–2021
1 coachPlayed every college season under Chris Creighton.
