Smith Vilbert
 Vilbert in 2025 | |
| Profile | |
|---|---|
| Position | Defensive end |
| Personal information | |
| Born | May 11, 2001 Haiti |
Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) |
Listed weight | 288 lb (131 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Saint Joseph Regional (Montvale, New Jersey) |
| College |
|
| NFL draft | 2026: undrafted |
| Career history | |
* Offseason or practice squad member only | |
Smith Sonder Vilbert (born May 11, 2001) is a Haitian American football defensive end. He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Early life
Vilbert was born in Haiti, where he lived until he moved to the United States as a young child. He attended Saint Joseph Regional High School located in Montvale, New Jersey, where he helped lead his team to a State Title. He was rated as a three-star recruit and the 49th overall defensive end by 247Sports, and committed to play college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions over Florida.
College career
Penn State
As a freshman in 2019, Vilbert was redshirted. In 2020, he played in four games. In the 2022 Outback Bowl, Vilbert recorded three sacks against Arkansas. He finished the 2021 season with seven tackles with four being for a loss, and three sacks. Vilbert missed the entirety of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with injuries. He returned in 2024, where he notched 12 tackles with four being for a loss, a sack and a half, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery, after which he entered the NCAA transfer portal.
North Carolina
Vilbert transferred to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels. In 2025, he tallied a career-best 22 tackles with six going for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble.
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+3⁄4 in (1.97 m) | 290 lb (132 kg) | 34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m) | 10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) | 6 ft 11+1⁄8 in (2.11 m) | 5.11 s | 1.71 s | 2.92 s | 4.69 s | 7.74 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) | 9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) | 19 reps |
| All values from Pro Day | ||||||||||||
After not being selected in the 2026 NFL draft, Vilbert signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2026. On August 30, he was waived by the Vikings as part of the final roster cuts.
References
- ↑ Bodani, Frank (December 31, 2024). "From Haiti to Penn State football to the CFP: Why Smith Vilbert never 'gave up.'". York Daily Record. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Pickel, Greg. "3-star defensive end Smith Vilbert commits to Penn State". PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Ralph, Max. "Important Penn State depth defender appears to announce 2025 return". PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Bodani, Frank (January 14, 2025). "He's back for a seventh year of Penn State football: How Smith Vilbert is one-of-a-kind". York Daily Record. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Riveria, Dane (January 1, 2022). "Smith Vilbert, former North Jersey star, has record day for Penn State in Outback Bowl". Bergen Record. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Yoder, Alexis. "Penn State football junior defensive end Smith Vilbert unavailable for 2022 season". The Daily Collegian. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ McGonigal, Johnny. "Penn State DE Smith Vilbert unavailable for the 2022 season". PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ McGonigal, Johnny. "Penn State defensive end Smith Vilbert to miss the season with an injury". PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Flounders, Bob. "Hey, Bob! Worries about former Penn State DE Smith Vilbert in the transfer portal? Very few". PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Wogenrich, Mark. "Penn State Football: Former Nittany Lion to Join Bill Belichick at North Carolina". Penn State Nittany Lions On SI. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Ripley, Trevor. "Vikings Add Two Defensive Players After Promising Rookie Tryout". Heavy.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ "Smith Vilbert College Football Profile". DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ↑ Ragatz, Will (May 9, 2026). "Vikings Sign Former Penn State, UNC D-Lineman After Rookie Minicamp". Minnesota Vikings On SI. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ↑ Kleifield, Rob (August 30, 2026). "Vikings Set Initial 53-Man Roster for 2026". Vikings.com. Minnesota Vikings. Retrieved August 30, 2026.