Player Career

Clayton Smith Career Story

Career story, signature performances, transfer context, and season arc are grouped for biography-style searches.

Player Story

Clayton Smith story

Clayton Smith built his college career from 2021 through 2025 as a defensive lineman from Queen City, TX wearing No. 10, spending time with Arizona State and Oklahoma. The clearest part of Clayton Smith's career was his defensive production: 81 tackles, 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and 5 passes defended across 35 career games in the available record. His largest box-score season came in 2024 with Arizona State. Those numbers show where he fit, how often the ball or action found him, and how his role developed over time.

Defensive careers can be hard to read from one number, but Clayton Smith's production has multiple signals. His career also includes 15 receiving yards, giving the story more than a single-category snapshot. With 35 career games in the available record, his career has enough shape to show both opportunity and production across Arizona State and Oklahoma.

The arc is straightforward: Clayton Smith moved through the depth chart, found a larger role, and turned that opportunity into production that can be understood through standard football numbers.

Career Arc

Track team changes, role shifts, and season-to-season movement.

  1. 1

    Oklahoma

    2021-2022

    Opening stop

  2. 2

    Arizona State

    2023-2025

    Final stop

Season Value Progression

202120222023202420242025
SeasonTeamPrimaryEfficiencyUsageDelta
2021 Regular SeasonOklahoma0.55.91.2
2022 Regular SeasonOklahoma115.53.30.5
2023 Regular SeasonArizona State1833.413.617
2024 PostseasonArizona State24.527.39.36.5
2024 Regular SeasonArizona State24.527.39.30
2025 Regular SeasonArizona State12.525.57.3-12

Signature Performances

Top Games

#1 Featured game

@ No. 58 Mississippi State

Week 2 · L 20-24

Loss with backfield disruption leading the way.

5

Havoc Plays

90.3 takeover

5 disruption/tackle impact with 90.3 takeover score.

#2

vs Kansas

Week 6 · W 35-31 · Conference game

4.5

Havoc Plays

85.8 takeover

Win with 4.5 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

4.5 disruption/tackle impact with 85.8 takeover score.

#3

@ Texas State

Week 3 · W 31-28

4

Havoc Plays

83.2 takeover

Win with 4 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

4 disruption/tackle impact with 83.2 takeover score.

#4

vs Colorado

Week 6 · L 24-27 · Conference game

4

Havoc Plays

81.4 takeover

Loss with 4 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

4 disruption/tackle impact with 81.4 takeover score.

#5

vs Arizona

Week 13 · L 23-59 · Conference game

3

Havoc Plays

73.9 takeover

Loss with 3 impact plays across the defensive snap sheet.

3 disruption/tackle impact with 73.9 takeover score.

Top Seasons

#1 Season by Season Value

2023 Regular Season · Arizona State

18 primary output · 33.4 efficiency · 13.6 usage

69.6

#2

2024 Postseason · Arizona State

61

24.5 primary · 27.3 efficiency · 9.3 usage

#3

2024 Regular Season · Arizona State

61

24.5 primary · 27.3 efficiency · 9.3 usage

Milestones

9

Impact games

14

Splash games

0

10+ tackle games