Maurice Smith Jr. holds the TE · Depth spot in Illinois Fighting Illini’s tight end room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Maurice Smith Jr. is a 6'4", 245-pound tight end from Fort Pierce, Florida who graduated from Vero Beach High School with honors and an associate of arts degree in 2022. He began his college career at Long Island University, where he earned his degree in criminal justice, before transferring to Chowan University to complete a master's degree in organizational leadership. At Chowan, Smith served as team captain in both 2024 and 2025. During the 2025 season, he played quarterback in seven games, throwing for 1,088 yards and seven touchdowns on 61.7 percent completion (87 of 141), while rushing for 166 yards and three touchdowns and catching two touchdowns. He transferred to Illinois with one year of eligibility remaining and is a redshirt senior.

Chowanthrough 2025

Illinois2026 — present