Head Coach Dave Doeren shared at his weekly press conference this afternoon that he expects Graduate Redshirt Senior Defensive End James Smith-Williams to be back on the field this weekend for NC State’s first ACC game on the road against FSU.
“On a positive James Smith-Williams is back in action and look forward to gaining James back this week. Not sure how much, we’ll see how he responds to practice, but he’s really excited to get back on the field with his teammates. (GoPack)
Smith-Williams, who is one of NC State’s four captains, has been out since the 1st half of the 2nd game of the season against Western Carolina. In a game-and-a-half, Smith-Williams has 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack and 3 QB pressures. He started in every game he played in last season (12), and tallied 9.5 tackles for loss and 7 sacks.
The return of Smith-Williams heading into ACC play is perfect timing. He is not only one of the most athletic defensive ends in the ACC, but in the nation. Smith-Williams was ranked as the #3 “Freak” in College Football according to The Athletic.
Now he’s a hulking 265. He benches 420, doing 27 reps at 225. He squats 620 and cleans 374. Smith-Williams vertical jumps 40 inches and has clocked a 4.43 in his pro agility time. Earlier this week, he ran an electronically timed 40 at 4.58. The hand time was 4.52. (Link)
Smith-Williams was a 3-Star linebacker out of Millbrook High School right down the road, and has put on 60+ pounds since arriving on campus.