| No. 23 – Alabama Crimson Tide | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive tackle |
| Class | Junior |
| Personal information | |
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 297 lb (135 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | George Washington Carver (Montgomery, Alabama) IMG Academy (Bradenton, Florida) |
| College | Alabama (2023–present) |
James Smith is an American college football defensive tackle for the Alabama Crimson Tide.
Smith is from Montgomery, Alabama. [1] He attended George Washington Carver High School in Montgomery from his freshman to sophomore years, playing football as a defensive lineman and posting double-digit sacks as a sophomore while helping Carver allow only 16 points per game. [2] He transferred to IMG Academy in Florida as a junior in 2021, but transferred back to Carver mid-way through the 2021 season. [3] He then had to sit out the rest of the year after being ruled ineligible. [4] He played his senior season at Carver in 2022. [5]
Smith was ranked a five-star prospect and one of the top recruits in the class of 2023. [2] He was ranked a top-20 player nationally and the second-best defensive line recruit by 247Sports. [6] Smith, along with his Carver teammate Qua Russaw, committed to play college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide. [7]
Smith was a backup as a true freshman in 2023, behind Jaheim Oatis, Tim Keenan III, and Tim Smith, and posted two tackles. [8] He then appeared in all 13 games as a sophomore in 2024, tallying 20 tackles, two pass breakups and a sack. [9] Smith became a starter for Alabama in 2025. [10] [11]