Brandon Smith Bio
Brandon Smith is an American professional football wide receiver who plays for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League. Born in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, he played college football at Iowa and has been part of several NFL teams including the Dallas Cowboys, Arizona Cardinals, New York Jets, and New England Patriots, as well as the DC Defenders in the XFL and the United Football League. He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2021 and made his NFL regular-season debut in 2024.
Early Life and Background
Brandon Smith was born on December 10, 1998, in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi. He grew up in the same community and attended Lake Cormorant High School, where he developed into a standout two-sport athlete. At Lake Cormorant he was a three-year football letterman and a four-time letterwinner in track and field, combining the speed and explosiveness he built on the track with his work as a wide receiver on the gridiron.
As a junior, Smith posted 78 receptions for 1,382 yards and 15 touchdowns, and as a senior he caught 80 passes for 1,509 yards and 19 touchdowns. He finished his high school career with 206 receptions for 3,672 yards and 41 touchdowns, earning first-team all-conference honors as a sophomore and first-team all-state recognition as a junior and senior. He was also named the 5A Region I Most Valuable Offensive Player of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons.
In track and field, Smith was runner-up in the high jump at the Mississippi state championships as a junior and then won the state title as a senior. Rated as a three-star recruit, he committed to play college football for the Iowa Hawkeyes, leaving Lake Cormorant as one of the most decorated receivers in the program’s recent recruiting history.
Path to American Football
Smith’s path to professional football began with steady progression through Lake Cormorant’s football program, where his production and athleticism made him a priority recruit for Big Ten programs. His track-and-field background, particularly his high jump title, helped separate him from other receiver prospects and demonstrated the kind of body control and explosiveness that scouts value at the next level.
His commitment to Iowa offered a clear route into major college football, and he quickly became a contributor in the Hawkeyes’ passing attack. By the time he finished his college career, he had appeared in 39 games over four seasons, recording 88 receptions for 1,031 yards and nine touchdowns, and he chose to declare for the 2021 NFL draft despite having remaining eligibility.
After going unselected in the 2021 NFL draft, Smith signed with the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent, beginning a long professional journey that has included stops on practice squads, in the XFL and UFL, and on NFL active rosters across multiple organizations.
Brandon Smith Career
Early Career (2021–2022)
Brandon Smith’s first NFL opportunity came with the Dallas Cowboys, who signed him as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 draft. He played in all four of the team’s preseason games, catching seven passes for 67 yards and a touchdown, before being waived and re-signed to the practice squad. He spent most of his rookie year on the practice squad, with a brief placement on the practice squad COVID-19 reserve/injured list in late December 2021, and he signed a reserve/future contract with the Cowboys in January 2022.
In his second preseason with Dallas in 2022, Smith made six receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, continuing to show flashes as a depth receiver. He was again waived at the end of training camp and brought back to the practice squad, and he was released from the practice squad on January 30, 2023, closing out his initial NFL chapter in Dallas.
DC Defenders and Arizona Cardinals (2023)
Looking for playing time, Smith signed with the DC Defenders of the XFL on February 23, 2023, joining the league after its first game of the season. He appeared in eight games for the Defenders, none as a starter, and finished the XFL campaign with eight receptions for 118 yards and a touchdown, along with 10 kickoff returns for 218 yards and a long return of 37 yards. He also added a two-point conversion, showing his usefulness on multiple special-teams and offensive units.
Following the XFL season, Smith signed with the Arizona Cardinals of the NFL on June 12, 2023, returning to the league he had left months earlier. He played in two preseason games for the Cardinals, catching one pass for six yards, before being waived on August 29, 2023, as the team trimmed its roster to the regular-season limit.
New York Jets Era (2024–2025)
Smith returned to the NFL when he signed with the New York Jets on August 2, 2024. In the preseason he appeared in three games and caught five passes for 120 yards, then was waived on August 27 before re-signing to the practice squad a day later. He spent time on the practice squad injured list in late September before being activated, and he was elevated to the active roster for the Jets’ Week 15 game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, making his NFL regular-season debut in that contest on one offensive snap. He signed a reserve/future contract with the Jets on January 6, 2025.
In 2025, Smith was waived by the Jets on August 26 as part of final roster cuts and re-signed to the practice squad the next day. He was promoted to the active roster on October 25, released three days later, and re-signed to the practice squad, before being released on December 2, 2025. The brief active-roster promotion and quick return to the practice squad reflected the Jets’ use of him as a depth receiver and practice elevation option.
New England Patriots and Pittsburgh Steelers (2025–Present)
On December 23, 2025, Smith was signed to the New England Patriots’ practice squad, giving him a quick landing spot after his release from the Jets. He was released by New England on January 13, 2026, and less than a week later, on January 15, 2026, he signed a reserve/futures contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The move to Pittsburgh gave him a fresh opportunity heading into the next league year and positioned him on the Steelers’ offseason roster at wide receiver.
Driving Style and Strengths
Brandon Smith is a 6-foot-1, 218-pound wide receiver whose game is built on vertical speed, reliable hands, and special-teams value. His track-and-field background, including a Mississippi state high jump title, translates into a strong catch radius and the ability to win downfield, while his experience as a return man and gunner has made him a contributor on coverage and return units. He has shown the versatility to line up both outside and in the slot, and his production on practice squads and in the XFL and UFL has repeatedly put him on the radar of NFL teams looking for depth.
Notable Events and Milestones
One of the defining moments of Smith’s career came in 2024, when he made his long-awaited NFL regular-season debut with the New York Jets in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, appearing on one offensive snap after years on practice squads. He also produced 18 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns in eight games for the DC Defenders during the 2024 UFL season, showing the kind of playmaking that led to his return to the NFL. His 218-pound frame and 4.5-second speed, along with a 37-yard long kickoff return in the XFL, have marked him as a developmental wideout with special-teams upside.
Brandon Smith Career Wins
Brandon Smith’s professional career has been built more on steady opportunity than on headline win totals, and the verified results available reflect his role as a depth receiver and practice squad contributor. He made the most of his snaps in spring football, where he has produced touchdowns and chunk plays for the DC Defenders in both the XFL and the UFL, while carving out an NFL career one practice squad promotion at a time.
Other Wins & Performances
In the XFL in 2023, Smith caught eight passes for 118 yards and a touchdown and returned 10 kickoffs for 218 yards for the DC Defenders. In the UFL in 2024, he elevated his production to 18 receptions for 209 yards and two touchdowns, with a long catch of 40 yards, in eight games and five starts, while adding three tackles on special teams. His NFL regular-season work has been limited to brief stints on active rosters with the Jets and in practice squad roles across the Cowboys, Cardinals, Patriots, and Steelers, with his only regular-season game action coming in 2024 with the Jets.
Brandon Smith Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Public information about Brandon Smith’s parents and broader family has not been widely documented, and verified details are limited. He grew up in Lake Cormorant, Mississippi, and credits his high school program at Lake Cormorant High School, where he became a multi-sport standout, with shaping his path toward college football at Iowa. His family supported his dual career in football and track and field, which led to a Mississippi state high jump title and a three-star recruiting ranking.
Personal Life
Brandon Smith is known primarily for his professional football career and keeps much of his personal life out of the public eye. There is no widely confirmed public information about a spouse, partner, or children, and his verified residence and marital status are not documented in available sources. His focus, based on his career path, has been on continuing to compete at the NFL level after stints in the XFL and UFL.
2025 Season Performance
Brandon Smith’s 2025 season was defined by movement between the active roster and the practice squad with the New York Jets. He was waived on August 26 as part of final roster cuts, re-signed to the practice squad a day later, promoted to the active roster on October 25, released three days later, and re-signed to the practice squad before being released on December 2, 2025. Those transitions reflected the Jets’ use of him as a depth option and practice elevation candidate at wide receiver and on special teams.
His limited regular-season work with the Jets was supplemented by a quick move to the New England Patriots’ practice squad on December 23, 2025, where he closed out the league year before being released on January 13, 2026. The 2025 campaign, while statistically quiet, allowed him to remain inside NFL facilities and continue developing within professional passing and special-teams schemes.
Looking ahead, Smith’s signing of a reserve/futures contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers on January 15, 2026, gives him a path to compete for a depth wide receiver role and special-teams spot heading into the 2026 offseason program. With his mix of size, speed, and verified production in the XFL and UFL, he is positioned to push for his first extended NFL active-roster opportunity in the seasons to come.