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USC’s Jaylin Smith Selected by Houston Texans in Third Round of 2025 NFL Draft
April 25, 2025 | Football
LOS ANGELES – USC cornerback Jaylin Smith was selected by the Houston Texans as the 33rd pick of the third round (97th overall) of the 2025 NFL Draft.
Smith is USC's 531st all-time draftee. USC is second behind Notre Dame's 534 for most NFL Draft picks all time.
Smith is the 14th Trojan defensive back drafted since 2010, including eighth in the first three rounds in that time frame.
He is the first Trojan picked by the Houston Texans since Solomon Byrd was selected in the seventh round with the 238th overall pick in 2024.
Smith, a steady veteran presence for the Trojans, recorded 182 tackles, including 12.5 for loss (with 2 sacks), 5 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles, 1 QB hurry and 3 INTs, while appearing in 43 games with 32 starts throughout his in his 4-year collegiate career (2021-24).
In 2024, he recorded 59 tackles, including 4 for loss of 5 yards, with 2 INTs (tied for first on the team) and 2 PBUs (tied for second on the team), in 10 appearances (all but Utah State, Rutgers and Texas A&M), starting all of them, as a senior in 2024. He earned All-Big Ten Third Team honors for his performance.
The USC defense made significant improvements in 2024. USC held opponents to an average of just 24.1 points per game, improving from 34.4 in 2023. The Trojans finished the 2024 season ranked No. 21 in the nation and No. 2 in the Big Ten Conference in third-down conversion percentage defense (0.335), compared to ranking No. 106 (0.436) in 2023. USC's defense improved in a variety of other statistical categories including ranking No. 33 in passes intercepted (12) and No. 53 in rushing defense (141.2) in 2024. The Trojan defense ranked No. 58 in turnovers gained by collecting 18 throughout the season and ranked No. 69 in red zone defense (0.830) in 2024. USC finished ranked No. 70 in team passing efficiency defense (132.50), improved to No. 77 in total defense (377.1) and was No. 86 in the nation in first downs defense (262) in 2024.
Smith recorded 75 tackles, including 5.5 for loss (with 1 sack), 1 forced fumble, 1 QB hurt and 1 PBU at safety while appearing and starting in 12 games (all but Oregon) as a junior in 2023. In USC's 42-28 victory over No. 16 Louisville in the 2023 Holiday Bowl, Smith tallied a team-leading 12 tackles to earn Defensive MVP honors.
As a sophomore in 2022, he had 37 tackles, including 1 for loss of 4 yards and 2 pass breakups while appearing in 11 games with 9 starts (all but the final 5 games of the season).
Smith appeared in USC's first 10 games (all but BYU and California), with 1 start (at Notre Dame), at safety and on special teams as a first-year freshman in 2021. Overall, in 2021, he had 11 tackles, including 2 for losses of 9 yards (with 1 sack for 6 yards), an interception, a deflection and a forced fumble.
He earned his bachelor's degree in Communication from USC.
USC has a rich NFL Draft history. USC and Michigan are the only schools with an NFL draftee every year since 1939. USC has the longest active streak (24 years) with a player drafted in the Top 3 Rounds. USC has the most picks in the common draft era (1967), with 365 (next is Ohio State with 352 and Notre Dame with 320). USC's 86 first round NFL draft picks are second most behind Ohio State's 95.USC holds the record for most players selected as the top pick of the NFL Draft (Ron Yary in 1968, O.J. Simpson in 1969, Ricky Bell in 1977, Keyshawn Johnson in 1996, Carson Palmer in 2003 and Caleb Williams in 2024). USC and Oklahoma are the only schools to have the No. 1 pick for 2 consecutive years (Yary and Simpson).
The 2025 NFL Draft continues with the fourth through seventh rounds on Saturday (April 26).
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