Highlights & Evaluation: Louisville WR/DB Commit Emoni Smith

LOUISVILLE, Ky. - The Louisville football program has stuck again in the Class of 2026, this time landing two-way prospect Emoni Smith.

Here is Louisville Cardinals On SI's full evaluation:

Prospect: Emoni Smith
Position: Wide Receiver/Safety
Measurables: 6-foot-1, 175 pounds
School: Galloway (Oh.) Westland
Top Offers: Kentucky, Michigan State, Purdue, USF, West Virginia
247Sports Composite Rating (Nat'l Rank): 0.8363 (721st)

Emoni Smith's Junior Year Highlights: HERE (Hudl)

Frame: Smith has a very wiry base frame on him. That being said, not only does he have some solid muscle tone, particularly in his core, there's the potential to add a lot more depending on what his exact role at the next level is. Smith also has an incredibly lengthy wingspan, which will bode well for him regardless of his position.

Athleticism: Smith has an upper-tier combination of athletic intangibles. For starters, he's got great open field long stride speed, which is backed up by a laser-timed 4.49 40-yard dash. Additionally, he's got good footwork that both helps him change directions fairly easily, and gives his quick (albeit inconsistent) burst. He's also got a good vertical, and underrated play strength.

Instincts: While Smith plays both sides of the ball, some of his best work comes on defense. He does a solid job of reading the quarterback's eyes and making correct defensive reads, and has good closing speed on ball carriers. He also does a great job high pointing the ball both in coverage and on offense as a pass catcher, regularly utilizing his vertical and length here. Additionally, he plays very physically. Not only in the fact that he routinely makes hard hits, but he also does very well with disrupting receivers in press coverage. Over on offense and on special teams as a kick returner, he's got good downfield vision, a nasty one-cut, and is a slippery ball carrier overall. As a true out-wide receiver, he's got a good release, but it is a bit inconsistent.

Polish: There are very few positions that Smith *doesn't* play. Defensively, he can play on the back end as a true safety, but also closer to the line of scrimmage in the box, while also taking reps as both a slot and boundary corner, and at edge rusher. He also plays wide receiver (true WR and gadget plays) and punt/kick returner. On defense, he's a fundamental tackler who rarely uses his physical nature in a reckless manner. On top of having good ball skills after/during to the pass, he has great anticipatory skills in both man and zone coverage on when to break on the ball before it's even thrown. Offensively, while Smith doesn't run a very diverse route tree, he has a good feel for them and runs them efficiently. Also seems to have consistent catching ability as well, even in traffic.

Bottom Line: Overall, this could go down as the most underrated pickup in the cycle for Louisville. Depending on his exact role and how he fills out physically (likely projects as a STAR in UofL's defense), he could carve a path to early playing time.

(Photo of Emoni Smith: Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images)

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