Carter Smith, OT, Indiana: 2027 NFL Draft Prospect Profile & Scouting Report
1. General Information
|
Name |
Carter Smith |
|
Position |
Offensive Tackle (OT) |
|
Number |
65 |
|
Class |
Redshirt Senior |
|
School |
Indiana |
|
Height / Weight |
6’5″ / 313 lbs |
|
Hometown / HS |
Powell, Ohio / Olentangy Liberty HS |
2. Career Statistical Breakdown
Offensive Line Performance & Snap Logs
|
**Season** |
**Team** |
**G** |
**Snaps** |
**Sacks** |
**Hits** |
**Press** |
|
2022 |
Indiana |
2 |
42 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
2023 |
Indiana |
12 |
789 |
3 |
2 |
13 |
|
2024 |
Indiana |
13 |
864 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
2025 |
Indiana |
16 |
1,048 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
|
**Total** |
**43** |
**2,743** |
**5** |
**3** |
**31** |
3. NFL Combine Testing Projections
Projected metrics for the 2027 NFL Draft cycle based on athletic history and current developmental trajectory.
- 40-Yard Dash: 5.04 – 5.12s
- Vertical Jump: 29.0″ – 31.0″
- Broad Jump: 8’11” – 9’3″
- 20-Yard Shuttle: 4.56 – 4.68s
- 3-Cone Drill: 7.54 – 7.67s
4. Scouting & Transfer Notes
Background Profile
Smith arrived in Bloomington as a highly decorated in-state recruit from Powell, Ohio, immediately flashing the physical layout and structural upside necessary to hold down a premier Big Ten boundary. After taking a brief, two-game true freshman developmental redshirt in 2022, he became a permanent fixture on the blind side, starting all 12 games at left tackle as a redshirt freshman in 2023. Amid intense transfer portal speculation that winter, Smith elected to stay the course—a decision that paid massive dividends under Curt Cignetti.
He started 13 games to secure honorable mention All-Big Ten accolades in 2024, before crafting a masterpiece redshirt junior campaign in 2025. Smith anchored the line for a historic Hoosiers postseason run, becoming Indiana’s first offensive lineman to receive First Team All-Conference recognition since 1987, and the program’s first first-team offensive tackle since 1977. Returning for his final senior year in 2026, Smith stands tall as one of college football’s elite, premier blindside forces.
Key Strengths
- Historic All-Conference Pedigree: Stands out as a highly technical, decorated left tackle who became the first Hoosier to earn a first-team all-conference blocking nod in decades.
- Elite Pass Protection Efficiency: Exceptionally polished blindside eraser who surrendered just a single sack over an intense, high-volume snap count against elite Big Ten rush configurations.
- Prototypical Perimeter Geometry: Possesses standard, highly coveted modern tackle length at 6’5″ and 313 pounds, utilizing an expansive lateral wingspan to comfortably isolate speed rushers from the pocket.
- High-Volume CFB Reliability: Enters the upcoming draft process with over 40 career games of foundational trench starting experience, displaying highly refined spatial awareness and mental discipline against complex twist/stunt games.
Developmental Focus
While Smith features high-end physical tools and elite underlying efficiency metrics, pro scouts will look for him to continuously add functional upper-body density to handle dense NFL-caliber power profiles. Evaluators will also heavily analyze his run-blocking urgency on complex wide-zone allocations in 2026, challenging him to consistently match his elite pass-protection metrics with elite displacement power at the initial point of contact.
Draft Countdown Film Notes
*pending*
All-Star Game Notes
*pending*
Combine/Pro Day Measurables
*pending*