Alabama
Alabama State
Arkansas
Auburn
Boston College
Florida
Florida State
Georgia
Kentucky
LSU
Miami
Michigan
Michigan State
Ohio State
Ole Miss
Penn State
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
Texas A&M
USC
SCOUTSZN
Scouting Report
July 29, 2026
James Smith #3
Ohio State · DT · Sr · 2027 Draft
· Montgomery, AL · Carver
6-2 · 314 lbs
6.6
Priority UDFA
Floor 6.2 · Ceiling 7.2
#267 overall · #13 DT of 15102
Scouting Verdict
The recruiting rankings said No. 27 in the country; three Alabama seasons said 48 tackles and 3.5 sacks. Now the former five-star takes his 6-2, 314-pound frame to Ohio State for a fresh start he has publicly embraced, penciled in as the Buckeyes' DT1 with coaches and teammates talking up the flashes. The 2025 tape was his best — 26 tackles and 2.5 sacks as an interior rusher — and the arrow finally pointed upward after two years buried in Alabama's rotation. However, this grade refuses to pay for the pedigree twice: solid-not-dominant is the honest read on every season he has played, and a high school star rating doesn't block anybody in Columbus. Fringe-draftable band with a priority-free-agent floor as it stands; a disruptive year as the featured tackle in Ohio State's front would move him fast, because the traits were never the question.
Ceiling · 7.2
Projected 2026 starter (DT1) — real opportunity to climb; close to ceiling (+0.6) · up-year team.