J'Len Smith

Position:
DL
Ht./Wt.:
6-2 / 246
Class:
Freshman
Hometown:
Memphis, Tenn.
Prev School:
Whitehaven HS

Career
Transferred to Memphis from Western Illinois prior to the 2018 season ... Sat out the 2018 campaign and was redshirted ... Has three years of eligibility remaining.

Honors (Academic/Athletic)
2018-19 American Athletic Conference All-Academic Team.

2018 (Sophomore)
Redshirted ... Member of the 2018 squad that went 8-6, won the American Athletic Conference West Division title, played in The American Championship Game and earned a Birmingham Bowl berth ... The 2018 Tigers overcame a three-game deficit heading into the month of November to win the league’s West Division crown.

2017 (Western Illinois)
Played his initial collegiate season at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Ill. ... Appeared in all 12 games ... Credited with 16 total tackles (9 solo), 5.5 TFL and 2.5 sacks ... Also had two QB hurries, one PBU and one forced fumble ... Logged first collegiate tackle (2 assists), TFL (0.5) and QB hurry in the season opener at Tennessee Tech ... Registered career-highs for total hits (4), solo stops (3) and TFL (2) at Coastal Carolina ... Recorded his first collegiate forced fumble against the Chanticleers ... Posted a career-high nine yards for TFL/sack at North Dakota State ... Had a TFL/sack for eight yards and his career PBU at Indiana State.

High School
Played all four seasons for head coach Rodney Saulsberry at Whitehaven High School ... Member of four Tigers teams that combined for a 50-6 record and earned four-straight Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA) Class 6A state playoff berths ... The 2014 and 2015 teams reached the state playoff semifinal round ... Helped lead the 2016 Tigers to the TSSAA Class 6A state championship ... Whitehaven posted a perfect 15-0 record ... The Tigers won four-straight District 16AAA crowns ... Played at DL, LB and TE in his career as a Tiger ... In his final two seasons at Whitehaven, logged 66 total tackles (35 solo), 15 TFL and nine sacks ... Also had four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries ... Named to the 2016 All-Region 4-6A first team.

Personal
Son of Janniece Garner and Artavius Smith ... Birthday is December 9 ... Human development and learning major.