Jerod Smith II holds the DE · Backup spot in Louisville Cardinals’s edge room. Where he sits among the room’s front-line roles:

Jerod Smith II is a 6'4", 270-pound defensive end from Corbin, Kentucky who transferred to Louisville from Kentucky. A four-star recruit in the 2024 class, Smith appeared in all 12 games as a true freshman in 2024, recording seven tackles. In 2025, he was a key contributor late in the season for Kentucky, appearing in all 12 games with 27 tackles including 18 solo stops, five tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble. Smith now competes for the Cardinals as a junior-level transfer.

Kentucky2024 – 2025

Louisville2026 — present