Penn State Football LB Brandon Smith’s NFL Draft stock soaring

Brandon Smith has emerged as one of Penn State Football’s defensive playmakers, and the Nittany Lions’ linebacker is rising up NFL Draft boards

Penn State Football linebacker Brandon Smith arrived in Happy Valley as a five-star recruit, and as the college football season round into the second half, the Nittany Lions‘ playmaker is seeing his NFL Draft stock rise.

Smith, 6-foot-3 and 241 pounds, cracked ESPN NFL Draft analyst Todd McShay’s top-32 prospects, checking in at No. 25:

"Smith has ideal size for his position and carries his 241-pound frame well. He shows solid take-on ability, and he can quickly disengage with his sudden and powerful upper body. In run support, he is fast and rangy, making plays in backside pursuit. But he tends to come in a little hot as a tackler at times, missing wrap-up opportunities as a result. He is very good in zone coverage, and his speed and size allow him to match up with most tight ends and running backs — but he has struggled tracking the ball when trailing the pass-catcher. In short, Smith is a work in progress, but he is consistently one of the fastest players on the field for Penn State."

If Smith has a strong second half of the season, there’s a chance that the Louisa, Va. native could rise up boards during the pre-draft process.

Through the first seven weeks of his junior season, Smith has produced 44 total tackles, a pair of sacks, and forced one fumble.

Prior to the 2021 College Football season kicking off, Smith had already garnered national recognition.

Bruce Feldman included Smith on his 2021 preseason “freaks” list, after Smith dominated the program’s preseason testing, as Sports Illustarted points out, leading all linebackers in pro agility (4.25 seconds), vertical jump (36 inches), broad jump (10-5) and triple broad jump (32-4).