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Jaylon Smith rarely flies under the radar. He was a five-star recruit out of Bishop Luers (Ind.) High, committing to Notre Dame before the program's run to the national title game in 2012. In South Bend, Smith has started all 26 games through his first two seasons with the Irish, tallying a team-best 112 tackles last season. With Notre Dame returning 10 of 11 defensive starters from last season -- and, in some ways, a full 11 if you include the return of cornerback KeiVarae Russell, who started all 26 games in 2012 and 2013 before last year's academic-related suspension -- Smith is receiving plenty of preseason attention. Notre Dame enters 2015 with all the tools necessary to make this the best team Smith has played on, and he will most likely have a tough decision to make following his junior campaign. This week ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. released his top inside and outside linebacker prospects for the 2016 draft, and Smith comes in favorably, ranking as the No. 2 outside linebacker among underclassmen  . Kiper has plenty of superlatives to describe Smith, and the totality of his experience through three years will only further endear him to NFL executives. This season should only help Smith show off his versatility and improve his pro stock, as he cross-trained at both the Will and the Sam linebacker spots for defensive coordinator Brian VanGorder in the spring after playing the Will last season, and after playing the drop-Sam spot in old coordinator Bob Diaco's 3-4 scheme as a freshman in 2013. Moreover, a deeper, more-seasoned supporting cast at linebacker this season should help bring out the best in Smith. Kiper is also high on Smith's teammate, Sheldon Day, ranking the defensive lineman as the No. 5 senior end prospect -- the spot Kiper projects Day in at the next level.
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