ASU's Clayton Smith back at DE after spending time at WR

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It was a sight to behold — 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds on the outside at wide receiver. Arizona State defensive end Clayton Smith made the switch to wide receiver for the start of spring practice, spending the first three weeks there. 

The move raised a lot of eyebrows and questions. Usually, the move to offense would be a tight end for a player of Smith’s stature. But Smith is an athletic marvel — he was named to Bruce Feldman’s “Freaks List” in 2025, which ranks the strongest, fastest and most physical players in college football.

The experiment is over, for now. Smith is back at defensive end, although it may not be the end of playing wide receiver.

Originally, Smith was supposed to be done at ASU after the 2025 season, and he even declared for the NFL Draft. But as his representation was combing through his playing log, they realized there was still potentially a season of eligibility left after not doing much at Oklahoma for a season due to injuries. The NCAA agreed and granted him a sixth year of eligibility.

“It’s been a dream come true, I’ve been dreaming about doing this since I was a little kid,” Smith said about playing wide receiver. “It’s great to get another year, another opportunity to run it back with my guys, my coaches. But it’s been fun. (Coach Kenny Dillingham) said he wanted me to get over to offense, learn the playbook just in case.

Smith kept it lighthearted.

“Couldn’t stay too long," he said. "I didn’t want anybody to think I was taking (their) spot. It’s a real competitive receiver room. But it was a great opportunity to get closer to that side of the ball, be able to relate to both sides of the ball.”

Wide receiver isn’t entirely new to Smith; he played the position in high school. Smith recorded 13 catches for 184 yards and six touchdowns (and one rushing) as a senior at Texas High, while also logging 53 tackles, 20 tackles for loss, 10 sacks and 29 quarterback hurries at defensive end and outside linebacker. As a junior, Smith caught 10 passes for 237 yards and six touchdowns.

While Smith won’t be lining up regularly at wide receiver, don’t be surprised if he comes out on offense during a game.

“We wanted to get him to learn the offense enough to use him as a weapon (in) certain situations,” Dillingham said. “I think he knows the offense enough that if we threw him in there, in like small packages throughout the year, he would understand the vernacular that it wouldn’t be foreign to him.

"I think he can be a weapon if utilized in a unique way over there. I thought, ‘He already knows the defense. We could go and have him take reps away from some younger guys, or we can go and utilize that time to see if he can be a dual-threat type of guy for us.’”

It won’t be Smith’s first college catch if he does get one in 2026, but it will likely be his first from a quarterback. During the 2024 season, Smith caught a 15-yard pass from punter Kanyon Floyd on a trick play in the 35-31 win over Kansas on Oct. 5.

Dillingham is glad to have Smith back at defensive end. Smith said the time he spent at wide receiver was beneficial, where he learned “a lot.”

“It really opened my perspective, learning the counter-side of what we’re trying to do,” Smith said. “I had a good idea from playing in high school, but it’s a whole different level when you get to college ball. Getting that perspective, knowing the why behind what they do, and then coming back and understanding what we do, makes the game a lot simpler.”

Defensive line coach Diron Reynolds, who has nearly 30 years of coaching experience both at the NFL and power conference levels, said he has never seen one of his players switch to wide receiver. 

Reynolds said the decision to put Smith at wide receiver was “smart.”

“We had him over there, running around getting himself into shape because he hadn’t been with us in the offseason,” Reynolds said. “I think it was a good thing to get that done and not have him take the pounding early. It adds to your perspective about what offenses do and what they do in certain situations. I think it’s going to make him a better leader.”

Logan Stanley is a sports reporter with The Arizona Republic who primarily focuses on high school, college and Olympic sports. To suggest ideas for human-interest stories and other news, reach out to Stanley at logan.stanley@usatodayco.com or 707-293-7650. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @LSscribe.

This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: ASU's Clayton Smith back at DE after getting reps at wide receiver

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