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Draftanomics
Prospect dossier

Ty'Anthony Smith

LB · Texas (last played) · 2027 NFL Draft class

Public Draft Board rank #109·12 contributing sources·Board as of August 31, 2026
Draftanomics scouting
September edition · September 11, 20264 min readReport role: LB · Texas (last played)

Prospect evidence profile

Limited technical evidence · Read the scope of this assessment in Sources & edition.

Ty'Anthony Smith's football case begins with movement, contact intent and an expanding record of defensive contributions. The most useful projection is an off-ball developmental role with special teams providing an additional route to value. The evidence is less complete than it is for the heavily studied linebackers in this class: the detailed qualitative support comes mainly from Texas reporting and coach comments, rather than a broad independent college-film consensus. His future playing situation also needs to be established after Texas confirmed his dismissal in August 2026. That status should be separated from the football traits already documented.

By Draftanomics · Sources & edition · Print report

01The role grew beyond the first-year contribution

Texas records Smith's first college start in the December 2025 Citrus Bowl against Michigan. He finished that game with nine tackles and two interceptions. Earlier in the season, he recorded nine tackles at Georgia, including a sack and another tackle for loss, and forced fumbles against San Jose State and Florida. Those are substantive contributions across different opponents. His 2024 season had included 16 tackles and an interception while he also contributed on special teams. The progression supports further evaluation, but a standout first start is not the same evidence as a full season directing a defense.

02Speed with a willingness to make contact

In August 2025, Steve Sarkisian highlighted Smith's speed and physicality, while teammate Anthony Hill described improvement in his striking. Those comments offer a useful starting point: a lighter linebacker can still arrive with purpose and make contact matter. They are informed program assessments, not independent proof that every run fit is sound. The NFL development question is how efficiently Smith can turn the movement into the correct approach to the ball. His best role would use the quick arrival while ensuring that the chosen angle leaves a controlled finish available.

03Contact has to be sustainable

The same Texas reporting identifies a relatively light frame and the effort required to compensate with physical play. That makes block handling a central next test. A linebacker can attack a ball carrier successfully yet face a different problem when a climbing guard reaches him first. Smith needs a role in which his hands, leverage and timing let him retain access to the play. The current evidence does not justify declaring that problem either solved or fatal. It identifies the matchup that must be evaluated before projecting him into unrestricted interior responsibility.

04Takeaways create a question worth pursuing

The two interceptions against Michigan and the earlier interception against Florida establish that Smith has finished passing plays with the ball. They do not establish the route combinations, coverage responsibilities or processing consistency behind every opportunity. A fuller coverage evaluation should examine how he gains depth, responds to a second threat and changes direction without losing the assigned receiver. Those are the details needed to turn the takeaways into a defensible three-down projection. For now, they are priorities for additional study, rather than strengths invented from the interception column.

The case for the player

Strengths

  • Texas coaches and teammates described useful speed, physical intent and improvement in striking.

  • Verified contributions include special teams, tackles for loss, forced fumbles and interceptions.

The questions that remain

Concerns

  • The lighter frame makes sustainable block handling an important unresolved projection question.

  • The available technical evidence does not establish a complete coverage profile or a full-time NFL role.

Building the fit

NFL role and scheme fit

An initial off-ball and special-teams evaluation makes sense, with assignments that allow Smith to pursue before asking him to consistently control large blockers. Broader defensive responsibility should follow evidence of reliable run fits and coverage decisions. His next team and playing opportunity are currently part of the uncertainty, so this report does not place him in Texas's current depth chart. The football development plan remains specific even while that situation is unresolved.

The Draftanomics view

Bottom line

Smith has enough documented movement and defensive contribution to warrant continued evaluation. A confident NFL role requires more technical evidence and an established playing situation. The current report preserves the football case without pretending those open questions have already been answered.

Sources & edition

The Draftanomics assessment, synthesized from attributed reporting. Role and development language expresses scouting opinion.

Limited technical evidence: this edition combines verified game records with attributed Texas development reporting. Texas confirmed his dismissal in August 2026; no reason or character judgment is inferred. Current playing destination is unverified.

New Draftanomics synthesis reviewed September 11, 2026. This edition adds coverage; it does not replace an earlier master report.

View the 4 referenced sources
Read statement references

Every passage remains linked to its supporting sources. Open a section to inspect the assessment and its evidence.

Sources for the evaluation
  1. House assessment

    Ty'Anthony Smith's football case begins with movement, contact intent and an expanding record of defensive contributions.

  2. House assessment

    The most useful projection is an off-ball developmental role with special teams providing an additional route to value.

  3. House assessment

    The evidence is less complete than it is for the heavily studied linebackers in this class: the detailed qualitative support comes mainly from Texas reporting and coach comments, rather than a broad independent college-film consensus.

  4. House assessment

    His future playing situation also needs to be established after Texas confirmed his dismissal in August 2026.

  5. House assessment

    That status should be separated from the football traits already documented.

Sources for the role grew beyond the first-year contribution
  1. Reported fact

    Texas records Smith's first college start in the December 2025 Citrus Bowl against Michigan.

  2. Reported fact

    He finished that game with nine tackles and two interceptions.

  3. Reported fact

    Earlier in the season, he recorded nine tackles at Georgia, including a sack and another tackle for loss, and forced fumbles against San Jose State and Florida.

  4. House assessment

    Those are substantive contributions across different opponents.

  5. Reported fact

    His 2024 season had included 16 tackles and an interception while he also contributed on special teams.

  6. House assessment

    The progression supports further evaluation, but a standout first start is not the same evidence as a full season directing a defense.

Sources for speed with a willingness to make contact
  1. House assessment

    In August 2025, Steve Sarkisian highlighted Smith's speed and physicality, while teammate Anthony Hill described improvement in his striking.

  2. House assessment

    Those comments offer a useful starting point: a lighter linebacker can still arrive with purpose and make contact matter.

  3. House assessment

    They are informed program assessments, not independent proof that every run fit is sound.

  4. House assessment

    The NFL development question is how efficiently Smith can turn the movement into the correct approach to the ball.

  5. House assessment

    His best role would use the quick arrival while ensuring that the chosen angle leaves a controlled finish available.

Sources for contact has to be sustainable
  1. House assessment

    The same Texas reporting identifies a relatively light frame and the effort required to compensate with physical play.

  2. House assessment

    That makes block handling a central next test.

  3. House assessment

    A linebacker can attack a ball carrier successfully yet face a different problem when a climbing guard reaches him first.

  4. House assessment

    Smith needs a role in which his hands, leverage and timing let him retain access to the play.

  5. House assessment

    The current evidence does not justify declaring that problem either solved or fatal.

  6. House assessment

    It identifies the matchup that must be evaluated before projecting him into unrestricted interior responsibility.

Sources for takeaways create a question worth pursuing
  1. House assessment

    The two interceptions against Michigan and the earlier interception against Florida establish that Smith has finished passing plays with the ball.

  2. House assessment

    They do not establish the route combinations, coverage responsibilities or processing consistency behind every opportunity.

  3. House assessment

    A fuller coverage evaluation should examine how he gains depth, responds to a second threat and changes direction without losing the assigned receiver.

  4. House assessment

    Those are the details needed to turn the takeaways into a defensible three-down projection.

  5. House assessment

    For now, they are priorities for additional study, rather than strengths invented from the interception column.

Sources for strengths
  1. House assessment

    Texas coaches and teammates described useful speed, physical intent and improvement in striking.

Sources for strengths
  1. House assessment

    Verified contributions include special teams, tackles for loss, forced fumbles and interceptions.

Sources for concerns
  1. House assessment

    The lighter frame makes sustainable block handling an important unresolved projection question.

Sources for concerns
  1. House assessment

    The available technical evidence does not establish a complete coverage profile or a full-time NFL role.

Sources for nfl role and next evaluation
  1. House assessment

    An initial off-ball and special-teams evaluation makes sense, with assignments that allow Smith to pursue before asking him to consistently control large blockers.

  2. House assessment

    Broader defensive responsibility should follow evidence of reliable run fits and coverage decisions.

  3. House assessment

    His next team and playing opportunity are currently part of the uncertainty, so this report does not place him in Texas's current depth chart.

  4. House assessment

    The football development plan remains specific even while that situation is unresolved.

Sources for bottom line
  1. House assessment

    Smith has enough documented movement and defensive contribution to warrant continued evaluation.

  2. House assessment

    A confident NFL role requires more technical evidence and an established playing situation.

  3. House assessment

    The current report preserves the football case without pretending those open questions have already been answered.

College record & draft context

College production, measurables, experience, and the prospect's place on the sealed Public Draft Board.

Public Draft Board

Public Draft Board rank
#109
Position rank
LB8
Contributing sources
12
Movement since prior snapshot
Down 55

Sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026 · equal-weight aggregation of public boards, minimum 3 sources for a rank · The Public Draft Board

College production

Defense
StatisticSeason 2024Season 2025
Total tackles1659
Solo tackles839
Tackles for loss1.55.5
Sacks0.51
Passes defended01
QB hurries01
Defensive TD00

Seasons of evidence: 2. Games played, snap counts, and usage shares are not in the retained data. An em dash means the value is not in the dataset, not zero.

Evidence notes

  • The retained data contains 2 seasons of defense production (2024–2025).
  • Defense tackles increased in each observed season (16 → 59).
  • The newest college season in the retained data is 2025; the 2026 season is not yet included.
  • No verified athletic testing is included in the sealed dataset for this prospect.
  • 12 contributing public boards rank this prospect; the Public Draft Board places him at #109.
  • The aggregate public rank fell 55 spots between the two most recent sealed weekly snapshots.

Each note restates a displayed fact. None is a forecast of NFL performance.

Experience and measurements

Listed height
6'0.5"
Listed weight
185 lb
Class
Junior
Age
Not in dataset
Recorded school
Texas
Former school
Not in dataset
Hometown
Jasper, TX
Jersey
#26
Recruiting stars
4-star
Recruiting rank
#350 nationally

"Not in dataset" means the value is absent from the sealed dossier dataset, not that it does not exist.

Athletic testing

Not included in the sealed dataset. No combine, pro-day, or RAS value is retained for the 2027 class; absence here does not mean no testing has taken place.

Listed roster height and weight (CollegeFootballData); no verified athletic testing is retained. Bio captured August 29, 2026.

Historical comparisons

Historical profile comparisons are being rebuilt.

Sources and methodology

  • Retained bio and measurements: Draftanomics prospect ingest (CollegeFootballData rosters and recruiting), retained seed data/seed/prospects_upcoming_full.parquet.
  • Retained college production: CollegeFootballData season statistics via the retained player cross-reference; position-relevant categories only; all-zero category rows dropped.
  • Age: unavailable — no birth date or age is retained for the 2027 class.
  • Transfer history: not retained — the page shows the current school and, where the frozen id names a different school, the former school.
  • Public Draft Board: sealed snapshot as of August 31, 2026; per-source ranks are not published under the aggregate-only source policy.

Board methodologyDossier methodologyResearch status

Board position reflects aggregated public opinion; the scouting report is a separate editorial assessment.