Brandon Smith (linebacker)

Brandon Nathaniel Smith (born April 12, 2001) is an American football linebacker for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League.

Brandon Smith
Carolina Panthers
Position:Linebacker
Personal information
Born: (2001-04-12) April 12, 2001
Henrico, Virginia
Height:6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Weight:241 lb (109 kg)
Career information
High school:Louisa County High School
College:Penn State
NFL Draft:2022 / Round: 4 / Pick: 120
Career highlights and awards
  • Third-team All-Big Ten (2021)

High School career

Smith attended Louisa County High School in Louisa, Virginia.[1] As a senior in 2018, he was named the Gatorade Football Player of the Year for Virginia.[2] He appeared in the 2019 Under Armour All-America Game.[3] Smith committed to Penn State University to play college football.[4] During his time at Louisa County High School, Smith played under legendary coach Mark Lee Fischer during his final run as head coach of the Louisa Lions football team.

College career

As a true freshman at Penn State in 2019, Smith appeared in 13 games and had 13 tackles.[5] As a sophomore in 2020, he started all nine games, recording 37 tackles, two sacks and one interception.[6] Smith returned as a starter his junior season in 2021.[7][8]

Professional career

Smith was drafted as a Linebacker for the Carolina Panthers in the 2022 NFL Draft. He was the 120th overall pick in the draft.[9]

References
  1. Snyder, Audrey. "How a small Virginia town molded Brandon Smith into the future of Linebacker U". The Athletic.
  2. HARVEY, JOHN. "Louisa County linebacker Brandon Smith named Gatorade state football player of the year". The Daily Progress.
  3. "Chosen 25 LB Brandon Smith gets UA All-American jersey, cherishes chats with 'Linebacker U' legend". November 7, 2018.
  4. "Penn State 5-star signee Brandon Smith was a one-of-a-kind player at Louisa County who planned to make a similar impact in State College". pennlive. December 19, 2018.
  5. jharvey@dailyprogress.com | (434) 978-7250, JOHN HARVEY. "Former Louisa star Brandon Smith vies for starting linebacker spot at Penn State in unusual times". The Daily Progress.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "Can Penn State's Brandon Smith be the second coming of Micah Parsons as a former 5-star LB? Buckeyes' best opponents, No. 19". cleveland. July 2, 2021.
  7. "Penn State's Brandon Smith focuses on improvement despite impressive start to season". pennlive. September 22, 2021.
  8. "Penn State needs Brandon Smith's 'A' game in 2021, and the linebacker looks ready to deliver it". pennlive. August 8, 2021.
  9. "NFL Draft 2022 Live Coverage - ESPN Draftcast". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2022-04-30.
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