Jack Smith, Clemson P: the 2026 season story
Jack Smith is a senior punter for Clemson (ACC). He ranks 169th of 232 punters in Division I by the Player Index, which judges every punter on the measures that matter at the position, adjusted for the opponents he faced.
Scouting report
Why it matters. Every measure is set against every ranked punter, so a strength here is a strength against the whole position, not just his own team. Jack Smith's strongest measure is inside the 20 at 42%, 28th of 134 (the average is 35%). His weakest is gross punt average at 38.5, 130th of 134 (the average is 43.6).
Against every punter
Why it matters. Volume, efficiency and impact plays can tell different stories: a player can be busy without being effective, or rarely used but dangerous every time. Among ranked punters he sits, on average, in the 26th percentile for efficiency and 80th for impact.
The season, game by game
Why it matters. Consistency matters to a team: one huge game and five quiet ones is a different season from six solid ones. Over 9 games, Jack Smith's best came in week 2 against Georgia Southern and his quietest in week 10 at Syracuse.
Where he does his damage
Why it matters. The shape of a player's production, not just its size, is what opponents scout.
National and conference
Why it matters. The Player Index puts every punter on one scale, adjusted for the defenses or offenses he faced, so a rank here is comparable across conferences. Jack Smith is 116th of 134 FBS punters and 14th of 16 in the ACC. Next up nationally is Jakob Anderson of Rutgers, 0.01 ahead on the index.
Career
Why it matters. A player's track record is the best guide to whether a season like this one is likely to last. His best season by the Player Index was 2025 at Clemson, 53rd of 238 punters.
Punters like him
Why it matters. Players with similar profiles tend to be used the same way, which makes them a quick way to picture his game. His closest match this season is Tyler Manship of Northern Arizona.
