KJ Smith | Baylor, DE – 2018 NFL Draft

Technically sound veteran with 25 career starts and 40 games played … 2018 Reese’s Senior Bowl Watch List … 2017 Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List … 2017 Bednarik Award Watch List … 2017 Nagurski Trophy Watch List … Has started 14 straight games, which ranks third on team … 40 games played is most on team … 25 career starts is most on team … 2016 All-Big 12 first team selection (coaches) … Second-team All-Big 12 (Phil Steele and Waco Tribune-Herald) … 12.0 career sacks and 26.0 career TFL through first three seasons … Tied for ninth in Baylor history with 12 career sacks … 2014 Freshman All-American.

2017 (Senior): Played in one game and started … Had four tackles on season … Missed rest of season due to injury … Started, notched four tackles vs. Liberty.

2016 (Junior): Started all 13 games at defensive end … All-Big 12 first team by league’s coaches … All-Big 12 second team by Phil Steele … Seven sacks on season ranked tied for fifth on Baylor’s single-season list … Ranks tied for ninth on Baylor’s career sacks list (12.0) … One of six players to start all 12 regular season games (one of three on defense) … Tallied four tackles, 1.5 tackles-for-loss and one sack vs. Boise State … Had seven tackles, 1.5 TFLs and 0.5 sacks at No. 13 West Virginia … Notched four tackles and one TFL vs. Texas Tech … Tallied five tackles, one TFL, sack and QB hurry vs. Kansas State … Registered career-high-tying 10 tackles, career-high eight solo stops, 1.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks at No. 9 Oklahoma … Made three tackles, 0.5 TFLs, 0.5 sacks and two QB hurries vs. TCU … Recorded four tackles and one QB hurry at Texas … Had two tackles vs. Kansas … Posted career highs of 10 tackles and six solo stops at Iowa State … Made six tackles, one TFL, sack, QB hurry and forced fumble vs. Oklahoma State … Produced six tackles vs. Rice, added TFL and 0.5 sacks … Had three tackles vs. SMU … Produced three tackles, two TFLs, one sack and two QB hurries vs. Northwestern State in season-opener … Selected to Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll spring 2017.

2015 (Sophomore): Played all 13 games, started three (one at end, two as tackle), as sophomore … Totaled 23 tackles (15 solo, five for loss of 10 yards), eight QB hurries, one fumble recovery and one PBU … Had two solo stops (TFL -3 yards) as starting d-end in season-opening win at SMU … Made three stops (0.5 TFL) and hurry in win over Rice in third game … Two hurries and solo tackle in win vs. Texas Tech (fourth game) and win over West Virginia (sixth game) … Matched career high with five tackles (one TFL), one fumble recovery and PBU in win over Iowa State in seventh game … Had two stops, including one for two-yard loss, in win at Kansas State in eighth game … Made four tackles (0.5 TFL) vs. No. 12 Oklahoma in ninth game … Had only two tackles (three hurries) over final four games … Made two assisted tackles and QB hurry in win over No. 10 North Carolina in Russell Athletic Bowl.

2014 (Redshirt Freshman): Played all 13 games and started eight at end for 2014 Big 12 champions … Named first team Freshman All-American by Athlon … Earned first collegiate letter … Totaled 45 tackles (28 solo, 10 for losses of 58 yards), five sacks (-39 yards), seven hurries, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery on season … Five sacks ranked tied for 16th in Big 12 … Played as reserve through first five games … Made collegiate debut in season-opening win over SMU, finished with three solo tackles, including first career sack (11 yards) and season-high two QB hurries … Had season-high five tackles, two for losses, including five-yard sack, in win over Northwestern State in second game … Made three unassisted tackles and one hurry in win at Texas in fifth game … Entered starting lineup in sixth game following injury to starter Jamal Palmer, started season’s final eight games … Had two tackles in career-first start in epic 61-58 comeback win over No. 9 TCU in sixth game … Matched season-high five stops at West Virginia in seventh game … Had season-high two sacks (-19 yards), five solo tackles, two forced fumbles and QB hurry in win over Kansas in eighth game … Made five tackles in win at No. 16 Oklahoma in ninth game … Had four stops in win over Oklahoma State in 10th game … Matched season-high two hurries and had fumble recovery and assisted TFL in win vs. Texas Tech in 11th game … Had four-yard sack and three tackles in win over No. 9 Kansas State that clinched share of Big 12 championship and berth in New Year’s Six bowl … Matched season-high five tackles and had hurry in Cotton Bowl vs. No. 7 Michigan State.

2013 (Freshman): Sat out first season at Baylor

High School: Defensive lineman from Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas … Played for head coach Mark Howard at CHS … National position rankings among defensive linemen: No. 32 by 247Sports.com, No. 35 by Rivals.com, No. 37 by Scout.com, No. 68 by ESPN.com … Third-best defensive end prospect in state by Dave Campbell’s Texas Football … Rated 89th prospect in Texas by 247Sports.com and among Waco Tribune-Herald’s Texas Top 100 … Rated No. 40 on Dallas Morning News/SportsDay’s Area Top 100, eighth defensive lineman listed … Led Centennial to 12-2 record and 2012 4A DII region II finals as senior … Totaled 102 tackles (73 solo), 21 sacks, 22 hurries, six forced fumbles and one safety as senior … Named honorable mention 2012 4A All-State and 2012 District 9-4A Defensive MVP … Earned second-team 2012 All-Area honors from Dallas Morning News/SportsDay … Led CHS to 12-1 finish and 2011 DII regional semis as junior … Made 89 tackles and 13 sacks as junior in 2011 … Earned 2011 4A All-State honorable mention and first-team 2011 All-District 9-4A recognition as junior … Helped Centennial to 6-5 mark and 2010 bi-district finals as sophomore … Named 2010 District 9-4A Sophomore Defensive MVP.

Personal: Son of Kevin and Renee Smith … Majoring in exercise physiology.

Smith played Pee-Wee football mostly at linebacker and running back. His first taste at defensive end did not occur until his freshman season in high school.

A ultra-productive interior defensive player, Smith possesses great get off along with violent hands. Plays bigger than his frame, uses his base with good power and plays with balance. Turn his hips to laterally chase down the ball going sideline to sideline. Disruptive and consistent in getting in the backfield.

Fully recovered from his senior injury, Smith should be primed for his March 26th Pro Day at Baylor. Currently working towards his masters, training at school and at Bommarito Performance.