By now, it’s become easy to assume that eligibility lawsuits go in favor of the player. The latest victor is Arizona State DE Clayton Smith who will finally get to pad up for the 2026 season. Smith had to play a crucial role in the team this year; getting him back is a major victory for head coach Kenny Dillingham.
This will be Clayton Smith’s sixth season in college football. According to someone familiar with the situation, the 6-foot-4, 255-pound Smith redshirted at Oklahoma in 2021. And, he played only four games in 2022 because of injury, essentially giving him another unofficial redshirt. He came to ASU in 2023 with only 8 tackles recorded over the previous two years. In this way, Smith was able to find this extra season, which will be his last in college football. He is the second Sun Devil to return for a sixth season, after LB Zyrus Fiaseu was also granted an extra year by the NCAA.
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He is the only returning DE for the Sun Devils this year, as Prince Dorbah, Justin Wodtly, and Elijah O’Neal have exhausted their eligibility. However, Smith will be evaluated first in an offensive role in spring camp. He is listed as an athlete on the ASU roster. In spring camp last year, the DE caught a touchdown during a rep.
At Tempe, Smith has recorded 13 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 81 tackles, five passes defended, two fumble recoveries, and a forced fumble. In 2024, Smith recorded nine quarterback hits on the season. The stats tied him for sixth in the Big 12. Smith posted 19 tackles and four sacks last season, starting twice. Half of those sacks came during a two-sack outing in a tight 24-20 road loss to Mississippi State in Week 2.
Even before the NCAA decision on Smith, the Sun Devils had made up for the losses in the DE room with transfers. Michigan State transfer Jalen Thompson comes in after posting 30 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks last year. Besides him, Baylor transfer Emar’rion Winston added 26 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and three sacks in 2025. In that way, Dillingham’s defensive end room will witness a fight between three seniors this year.
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But since Smith will be tested as an offense, here’s how that part of the plan could look.
Kenny Dillingham may have another plan for Clayton Smith
His return also raises some eyebrows, with the newly released 2026 Sun Devil roster listing the defensive end under the broad label of “athlete.” According to the sources, this listing means that Dillingham is ready to see Smith in the offense. Going by the buzz, the defensive end might see limited snaps as a pass catcher.
His frame makes tight end a great option. Arizona State lost its two biggest contributors from 2025 as Chamon Metayer and Cameron Harpole ran out of eligibility. He will have to compete with Khamari Anderson and AJ Ia, but Smith has shown the potential to score.
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No matter which position Kenny Dillingham places him in, his ultimate goal will be to boost his draft stock. Last year in August, ESPN’s Jordan Reid saw Smith receiving late-round grades for the 2026 NFL Draft. On the other hand, analyst Tanner Cappellini saw Smith as getting undrafted. He also predicted the DE to go as a sixth-round pick to the Dallas Cowboys.
While the 2027 NFL Draft is a long way from now, as of now, Smith will have to find a strong footing as Arizona State’s spring camp begins at the end of this month. Now that he is guaranteed to factor into the team’s 2026 run, he should lock in to deliver his best.
