Gophers add All-Ivy League D-tackle from Harvard
The Minnesota Golden Gopher football team bolstered their depth at defensive tackle on Wednesday as defensive tackle Chris Smith committed to the team as a graduate transfer.
Smith was a First Team All-Ivy League selection for the Crimson last season, collecting 40 tackles, five tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Overall, he has recorded 72 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks in 29 career games.
After choosing the Gophers over Virginia, Virginia Tech, Syracuse and Vanderbilt, Smith has one year of eligibility remaining and will be able to join the team immediately.
That puts Smith into a revamped defensive line that lost Nyles Pickney and Micah Dew-Treadway to graduation this offseason. Although incumbent starter De'Angelo Carter will return, the Gophers will have a stable of young players including Logan Richter, Jacob Schuster and Deven Eastern behind him.
The addition of Smith along with fellow graduate transfer Darnell Jefferies (Clemson) should give the middle of the defensive line a new look in 2022.
