Matthew Smith
Northwestern Wildcats
79
Solid

Matthew Smith

Northwestern WildcatsSolid
WLBDefenseSolid
2nd String / Backup

Is Matthew Smith starting?

Matthew Smith is listed 2nd string at WLB for Northwestern Wildcats.

Matthew Smith is listed WLB #2 for Northwestern at 79 OVR.

See full Northwestern Wildcats depth chart ›

Depth at WLB · Northwestern Wildcats

  1. 13391Braydon BrusStarter
  2. 23279Matthew SmithYou
  3. 33470Payton Roth

What's Next

Who do they play next?Rolijah Hardy — at Indiana · Fri, Sep 25Who's the backup?See every Northwestern positionHow do they compare?Pick an opponent for Northwestern Wildcats

The Story

The Story

A 3-star recruit out of Hillside, ranked #2,364 nationally coming out of high school.

Recruit3★ · #2,364 Natl
Durham, NC
Jersey
#32
Class
RS SO
Height
6'2"
Weight
225 lbs

Matthew Smith is currently behind Braydon Brus at WLB on the Northwestern depth chart, a Big Ten team rated 83 overall this season.

Recruiting Profile

Stars
★★★☆☆3-star
Composite
0.8256
National Rank
#2364
High School
Hillside
Hometown
Durham, NC

Why this rating?

On a 89-rated defense; 50th-percentile recruit (no FBS production stats) → 79 after depth penalty.

Team defense (SP+)
89
Rating basis
Recruiting pedigree
Recruiting pedigree
Top 50% recruit
Depth-chart adjustment
-2 for role; −6 depth penalty

2026 projection — based on SP+ (a respected team-efficiency metric; 2026 not published yet, using 2025), 2025 production, recruiting, and the 2026 transfer portal; capped to depth-chart order.

2026 Game Log

Sep 19WCOLOTKL 1
TKL
1
SOLO
1
SACK
0
INT
0
PD
0

Final W 41-7

Matthew Smith's 2026 game-by-game stat log.

The People's Ratings

Is our 79 OVR fair?
79
Solid
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Overall ratings blend team strength (SP+), on-field production, and recruiting. Higher = more impactful.