A 340-pound run-stuffer who reshaped his body and his game across six college seasons at Duke and UCLA.
Gary Smith III is a massive interior presence who signed with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent in 2026 after a long, injury-interrupted college career. His combination of size and improved conditioning made him a sleeper name in pre-draft circles despite going unselected.
Path to the league
Smith began his college career at Duke in 2020 before transferring to UCLA, where he played from 2022 through 2025. He missed the 2024 season with an injury before returning for a productive final year, and he went undrafted in the 2026 NFL Draft before signing with the Raiders.
Career highlights
Over five seasons and six years at Duke and UCLA, Smith appeared in 50 games with 25 starts, finishing his college career with 111 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. He was invited to speak with reporters at the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine as a defensive tackle prospect.
2025 season recap
Smith started all 12 of UCLA's games in his redshirt senior season in 2025, posting a career-high 39 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and half a sack while leading all Bruins linemen in tackles. He went unselected in the 2026 draft before signing with the Raiders as an undrafted free agent.
Sources
- ESPN: Gary Smith III
- UCLA Athletics: Gary Smith III
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- UCLA
- Hometown
- Shelbyville, TN, USA
- Age
- 24
- Status
- active
