James Smith (American football)
| No. 23 – Alabama Crimson Tide | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle |
| Class | Junior |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 297 lb (135 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | George Washington Carver (Montgomery, Alabama) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| College | Alabama (2023–present) |
James Smith is an American college football defensive tackle for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Early life
Smith is from Montgomery, Alabama.[1] He attended George Washington Carver High School in Montgomery from his freshman to sophomore years, playing football as a defensive lineman and posting double-digit sacks as a sophomore while helping Carver allow only 16 points per game.[2] He transferred to IMG Academy in Florida as a junior in 2021, but transferred back to Carver mid-way through the 2021 season.[3] He then had to sit out the rest of the year after being ruled ineligible.[4] He played his senior season at Carver in 2022.[5]
Smith was ranked a five-star prospect and one of the top recruits in the class of 2023.[2] He was ranked a top-20 player nationally and the second-best defensive line recruit by 247Sports.[6] Smith, along with his Carver teammate Qua Russaw, committed to play college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide.[7]
College career
Smith was a backup as a true freshman in 2023, behind Jaheim Oatis, Tim Keenan III, and Tim Smith, and posted two tackles.[8] He then appeared in all 13 games as a sophomore in 2024, tallying 20 tackles, two pass breakups and a sack.[9] Smith became a starter for Alabama in 2025.[10][11]
References
- ^ "James Smith". Alabama Crimson Tide.
- ^ a b Shames, Jacob (August 18, 2022). "Fab Five: Carver football 5-star DT James Smith lets his reputation speak for itself". The Montgomery Advertiser. Archived from the original on November 14, 2025. Retrieved December 1, 2025 – via archive.today.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Rushin, Jerell (March 10, 2022). "Carver 5-star James Smith hungry for Alabama high school football after year at IMG Academy". The Montgomery Advertiser.
- ^ Alvarez, Nick (April 21, 2022). "2023 5-star DL James Smith is back home for nationwide recruitment". AL.com.
- ^ Alvarez, Nick (August 15, 2022). "A-List No. 3: Carver-Montgomery 5-star James Smith enjoys the questions around his recruitment". AL.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2025. Retrieved December 1, 2025 – via archive.today.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Suttles, Aaron (December 21, 2022). "Alabama signs 5-star teammates James Smith, Qua Russaw". The Athletic.
- ^ VanHaaren, Tom (December 21, 2022). "Jaquavious Russaw, James Smith stay local, commit to Alabama". ESPN.
- ^ Goodbread, Chase (September 5, 2024). "Five-star recruits James Smith, Qua Russaw emerging in second year with Alabama football". Tuscaloosa News.
- ^ Kelly, Nick (August 20, 2025). "This Alabama defender is a 'havoc-style' player". AL.com.
- ^ Stahl, Matt (August 26, 2025). "Can newfound maturity help this Alabama DL unlock his potential?". AL.com.
- ^ Kelly, Nick (September 27, 2025). "Alabama star ejected for targeting in second half vs Georgia". AL.com.