The 2024 Senior Bowl MVP out of Washington State, Chau Smith-Wade has developed into Carolina's starting nickel cornerback.
Chau Smith-Wade is a fifth-round pick who turned Senior Bowl buzz into a real NFL role, working his way into a starting nickelback job for the Panthers in his second season. His ball skills and tackling have made him a steady piece of Carolina's secondary.
Path to the league
Smith-Wade played four seasons at Washington State from 2020 to 2023, recording 103 tackles, 21 pass breakups and three interceptions in his college career. His best season came in 2022, when he posted 43 tackles, eight pass deflections and two interceptions. He earned MVP honors at the 2024 Senior Bowl before the Panthers selected him in the fifth round, 157th overall, of the 2024 NFL Draft, the first Washington State player Carolina had drafted since 2011.
Career highlights
Smith-Wade appeared in 14 games with four starts as a rookie in 2024, recording 39 tackles, a forced fumble and an interception as he worked into Carolina's defensive back rotation.
2025 season recap
Smith-Wade took over as Carolina's starting nickelback in 2025, playing in all 16 games with six starts. He finished with 56 tackles and two passes defensed, and returned an interception 11 yards for a touchdown, his first career pick-six.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Chau Smith-Wade
- ESPN: Chau Smith-Wade
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
16 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | panthers | 16 | 56 | 43 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 2024 | panthers | 14 | 39 | 24 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Cornerback
- Group
- defense
- College
- Washington State
- Hometown
- Denver, CO, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
