Countdown to kickoff: Notre Dame vs. Ohio State only 34 days away

To preview one of the most anticipated games for Notre Dame this century and the official start of the Marcus Freeman era, BlueandGold.com is counting down the days to the matchup against Ohio State on Sept. 3.

This daily series of 99 stories celebrates by the numbers some of the most notable names, dates, moments and memories related to the past and present of Notre Dame football. 

Today, with 34 days remaining until kickoff, we look back at the Irish career of linebacker Jaylon Smith, who was the No. 34 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

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When Smith arrived on campus in 2013, expectations were through the roof. Understandably so, as the No. 3 overall recruit in the nation was joining a team fresh off a BCS National Championship appearance. It was the foundation for an elite defense in the coming years.

Smith certainly held up his end of the bargain.

The five-star recruit got off to a hot start, starting every game and notching 63 tackles as a rookie. The mark was third in program history among freshmen. He took it up a level in 2014 and recorded 102 stops. Smith was the Notre Dame Defensive Player of the Year in 2015 after racking up 112 tackles and nine tackles for loss.

As the regular season came to a close, the 6-2, 240-pound linebacker was considered one of the best defensemen available ahead of the NFL Draft. He would play the Fiesta Bowl against Ohio State and then make a decision about his future. Or so he thought.

Just over six minutes into the Arizona-based New Year’s Six bowl, Ohio State was driving with a 7-0 lead. Buckeyes quarterback J.T. Barrett kept the football on a first down from the 16-yard line before ultimately fumbling it. It was recovered by Ohio State, but the real story of the play happened just behind the 10-yard line. Smith flocked to the ball and tripped. While trying to stand back up, offensive lineman Taylor Decker pushed Smith back to the turf. In the process, Smith’s knee hyperextended.

He remained on the ground while getting help from the training staff, and it was relatively clear the injury was serious. Smith was helped off the field by the staff, and the news later broke that he had suffered a torn ACL and MCL. Smith went from a likely first-round pick to a massive gamble in one play.

Enter the Dallas Cowboys, who took a chance on Smith. The team selected him with the No. 34 overall pick in 2016. He knew where he would be headed next, but he did not know when he would play football again.

Smith sat out his rookie year while rehabbing, but he came on strong in 2017. He notched 81 tackles, then 121, then 142. That 2019 year he led the team by 56 stops. The gamble paid off for Dallas, just as the gamble to play in the Fiesta Bowl had for Smith. He wouldn’t change a thing.

“Those freak types of accidents, injuries, they happen,” Smith told Jared Dubin of CBS Sports. “But you don’t go in the game thinking, ‘Oh man, I’m going to get hurt.’ That was my decision, and I love it. And I wouldn’t change it. If I knew that I was going to get hurt and wasn’t going to be a top-five pick again, I would have literally played in that game again because of my teammates and how much Notre Dame means to me.”

On the topic of Notre Dame, Smith returned to South Bend in 2019 to complete his degree.

The linebacker is now a free agent in the NFL, but he showed promise with the New York Giants in late 2021, playing at least 40 snaps in three games and recording 19 tackles and a sack. Where to next?