Carter Smith QB Indiana |
NFL Draft Profile & Scouting Report
| Jersey: #3 PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Draft Year: 2027 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| FORTY time: 4.75 seconds (67%*) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Jersey: #3 | |
| PLAY STYLE: Dual Threat QB | |
| Last Updated: 08/03/2026 | |
| Draft Year: 2027 | |
| Forty time: 4.75 seconds (67%*) | |
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SHARE THIS PROFILE:
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| Overall Rating: |
67.5 / 100
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| Average rating of opposition Defense player has faced | ||
| Defense Rating: |
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80% |
| Click the links below to view how player ranks vs other prospects. | ||
| Release Speed: |
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61% |
| Short Passing: |
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46% |
| Medium Passing: |
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36% |
| Long Passing: |
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34% |
| Rush/Scramble: |
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50% |
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DRAFT PROJECTION:
UDFA
Overall Rank:
#671
Position rank:
#34 (QB)
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| College Games: 4 College Snaps: 172 | ||
ESPN RATING: 82/100
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247 RATING: 89/100
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RIVALS RATING: 5.8 (95%)
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| Player Comparison* (Similarity level) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Chris Oladokun - South Dakota State |
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47% |
| Brady Davis - Illinois State |
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43% |
| Collin Schlee - Virginia Tech |
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40% |
Draft Profile: Bio
The 2023 Gatorade Florida Player of the Year out of Bishop Verot in Fort Myers, Smith threw for 2,223 yards with 29 touchdowns and ran for nineteen more as a senior. A four-star, he was long committed to Michigan before the Wolverines pivoted to another quarterback, and Wisconsin landed him over Florida State, Georgia and Texas A&M. He arrived in January needing to add weight and learn behind a veteran transfer starter.Smith saw spot action as a true freshman in 2025, completing 26 of 46 passes for 201 yards with two touchdowns and an interception across four games while bulking up to over 200 pounds. The dual-threat production and the four-star arm point to a developmental passer with starter upside as he competes for the job in 2026. The Gatorade state honor and the Michigan recruiting saga marked him as a coveted passer, with a developmental year banked to keep building.
Scouting Report: Strengths
- Mobile, willing runner who competed as a true-freshman emergency starter
- Four-star recruit thrown into a brutal Big Ten slate as a freshman
- Flashed some touch on a short, low-volume freshman sample
- Played composed beyond his experience against several ranked defenses
Scouting Report: Weaknesses
- Extremely raw passing numbers against an elite schedule
- Tiny, low-volume true-freshman sample, far too early to grade
- Arm strength and accuracy are unproven beyond the short game
- Took nine sacks in limited action, processing still developing
- Eligibility timeline is early; a more natural 2028 prospect
Scouting Report: Summary
Smith was a four-star recruit who flipped to Wisconsin and was pressed into duty as a true freshman in 2025, making three starts after entering the season fourth on the depth chart, the program's first true-freshman quarterback start since 1991. He is a mobile, willing runner who competed gamely against a brutal Big Ten slate, flashing touch on a short, low-volume sample.The poise against ranked defenses was notable for a freshman thrown into the fire, and he returns to Wisconsin in 2026 with a chance to win the job outright. There is something to the mobility and the competitive demeanor, but true-freshman emergency tape against ranked defenses is the thinnest possible evaluation, and a team that likes the traits would file him away to revisit once he has a real season of starts.
The evaluation is years away. His passing numbers are extremely raw against an elite schedule, the sample is tiny, and his accuracy and arm strength are unproven beyond the short game; he took nine sacks in limited action with processing still developing. His eligibility timeline is also early, making him a more natural 2028 prospect. For now, he is a developmental name to monitor, with true-freshman emergency tape the only film on record. That makes him a more natural prospect for a later class than this one, a name to file away rather than grade now.
How other scouting services rate Carter Smith (Overall Rank)
All Scouts AverageOverall Rank
83.8
All Scouts AveragePosition Rank
13.0
*Percentile Ranking in Player's Position Group (NFL Combine Historical Data): This percentile reflects how a player's specific statistics rank
in comparison to historical performances at the NFL Combine, specifically within their position group. A higher percentile indicates a better performance.
For instance, being in the 90th percentile for a particular stat means the player outperformed 90% of their peers in that category.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.
*Similarity Percentage: This percentage is calculated based on a comprehensive analysis of various factors, including height, weight, 40-yard dash times, on-field performance statistics, and overall player rating. The analysis is conducted against our database of draft prospects from 2021 to 2023. This similarity score helps in evaluating how closely a current prospect aligns with past prospects. It is important to note, however, that this score reflects similarities based on college production and attributes, and does not account for eventual success or performance in the NFL.