Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 17-16vs Baylor | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 43-8vs Southern Miss | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#19
Sylvester Smith
Senior safety on Auburn's 2026 roster.
6′0″ · 195 lb · Munford, AL
CFB Index 29 · #453 of 544 safetiesMedium confidenceReturning to Auburn 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.
Recruiting
4★
S recruit
No. 233 nationally · Signed with Auburn
No college snaps yet.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 safety on Auburn's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Auburn in 2023.
In Their Words
363 windows · 2026 fan posts
fegans×142.9jared×77.0womack×103.0anquon×137.5sylvester×130.9autry×125.0winters×107.8jourdin×134.7
Sylvester Smith
Moves between deep coverage and the slot. Sylvester Smith has been at Auburn through two head coaches in four seasons. The receipt on tape: 4 tackles against Baylor, Week 1, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20233 games
- Signed with Auburn4-star out of Munford
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Auburn
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Auburn
Coaching transition mid-career: Hugh Freeze → Alex Golesh. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Auburn6-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Run-heavy
2024Auburn5-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Balanced
2025Auburn5-7HC: Hugh Freeze · Run-leaning
2026Auburn2-0HC: Alex Golesh · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Medium confidence
Concern: tackles (0th 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: 2.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Alex Golesh
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
29 · #453 of 544 safeties
Former four-star. Now #453 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #23 of 28 SEC Ss
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 17–16
vs Baylor
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Auburn
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Safety · Auburn
Returning around him
- 5 Auburn players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: +0 net (39 in / 39 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Auburn · Last season: 5-7 (AP #22) · Talent rank #18 · 2026 recruiting class #31
DNA match
Player DNA
Hybrid Nickel
Moves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB.
S
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Brandyn Hillman’s 2024 season.
Matches Brandyn on
Height
PD rate
Class year
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Amarion Atwood's junior season at Texas State (2025).
86%match
Matches Amarion on
Tackle volume
PD rate
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Sylvester Smith
The secondary · Auburn
- #23Fred Gaskin53 tackles · 2025
- #8Kaleb Harris50 tackles · 2025
- #5Eric Winters33 tackles · 2025
- Sylvester Smith28 tackles · 2025
- #14Shamar Arnoux27 tackles · 2025
15 more on the roster · Auburn team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology