Penn State DE Smith Vilbert to transfer to North Carolina

A long-time contributor at Penn State has made the call to transfer to North Carolina. Defensive end Smith Vilbert is set to make the move, he announced via social media.

Vilbert originally came onto the college football scene in 2019 as a true freshman. He’s since had medical hardships that have allowed him to extend his eligibility going forward.

The 6-foot-6, 282-pound lineman first appeared in two games during the 2019 season. He would take a redshirt as a result. The following year, the COVID-19-impacted 2020 campaign, would see Vilbert appear in four games.

But he really first started to make a mark during the 2021 campaign, his redshirt sophomore season. Smith Vilbert had a breakout performance in the team’s bowl game, a contest against Arkansas.

During that game, Vilbert recorded four tackles. Three of them went for a sack.

Smith Vilbert’s impact would be limited to just one appearance over the next two seasons, though. The Nittany Lions lineman appeared in one game against Utah in 2022, then missed the entirety of the 2023 season due to injury.

The good news is he bounced back strong in 2024. Playing in 16 games, Smith Vilbert recorded a career-high 12 tackles, 4.0 tackles for a loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, a pass breakup and a pass defended.

In total in his career, Vilbert has recorded 35 tackles, 8.0 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks. He has also notched two forced fumbles, a pass breakup and a pass defended.

That’s the kind of production North Carolina will be hoping to get from the long-time Penn State player. A change of scenery could also boost Vilbert’s prospects.

As a recruit, Smith Vilbert was ranked as a three-star prospect and the No. 667 overall player in the nation in the 2019 recruiting class. He checked in as the No. 61 rated player at his position and the No. 14 overall player in the state of New Jersey, hailing from Montvale (NJ) St. Joseph Regional.