Latest news with #JaylinSmith
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Texans total two second-half picks, secure 20-3 victory over Panthers
It's back to the winning ways in Houston. C.J. Stroud found Nico Collins for a 6-yard touchdown in the first quarter to give the Houston Texans a 7-0 lead over the Carolina Panthers. That set the tone for the rest of the afternoon at NRG Stadium en route to a Houston 20-3 victory to move to 1-1 in the preseason. Rookie cornerback Jaylin Smith recorded his first interception, while Damon Arnette's pick in the fourth quarter led to a 1-yard touchdown run from British Brooks. Defensively, Mario Edwards Jr. headlined a front seven that finished with five sacks on the day. Stroud, who played nearly the entire first quarter, completed 6-of-8 pass attempts for 44 yards and a score. Christian Kirk was the most consistent weapon, hauling in two passes for 23 yards. The Texans will close out their preseason on the road against the Detroit Lions next Saturday. From there, rosters must be trimmed down to 53 en route to the Week 1 showdown against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. But, how did we get here on Saturday in front of over 47,000 fans in attendance? Let's review. Final from NRG Stadium Stuffed again The Texans' defense has bent, but not broken, on Saturday against Carolina's offense. Once again, Jack Plummer couldn't put the Panthers into the end zone. And this time, Ryan Fitzgerald's 49-yard field goal attempt wasn't good. A TD from across the pond British Brooks from a yard out has the Texans up by 17. Houston now has its fourth-team unit in, but it looks promising to close out a stellar Saturday afternoon. Another pick! Entering the fourth quarter, Damon Arnette picked off Jack Plummer in the red zone to set up the Texans deep in Carolina territory. Rookie making plays Jaylin Smith has his first interception of his career. It won't count, but it still is promising to see the third-round pick making plays in front of the hometown crew. Another score Slovis and Irv Smith connected three times to put Houston in field goal range. It's a 10-point lead for the Texans midway through the third quarter. Welcome third-team! Welcome to the third quarter, where starters and the second-team units are out, though rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel are still seeing reps because of their youth. Kedon Slovis is in at quarterback. Top Performers HALFTIME STATS Texans strike before the half With just over a minute left in the first half, Davis Mills connected on two pass attempts -- and benefitted from two holding calls -- to put Houston inside Carolina's 23. Ka'imi Fairbairn drilled the easy 41-yarder to give Houston the seven-point lead once more. The Texans will start off on offense for the second half. Panthers on the board Two pressures on third down led to a 52-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald to put the Panthers on the board. Houston still leads 7-3. All starters out It's all about the backups now. The Texans' offense went three-and-out with Davis Mills running the show on back-to-back drives. Jack Plummer has a bit more success against Houston's second-team defense, but only enough to call it a slight advantage. Blake Fisher hurt Offensive tackle Blake Fisher went into the medical tent following the third drive of the offense, holding his lower body. Fisher, who's struggled this preseason, did emerge from the blue tent and was stretching, but the Texans didn't clarify if he would return to the ensuing drive. Starters stick in for one more drive While the Panthers went to Andy Dalton, the Texans' starting defense stayed in for one more drive. Nothing changed as Dalton needed six plays to lead to a punt. After that, it was made clear that only Henry To'oTo'o and M.J. Stewart would stay in the game for the rest of the first half. 7 to 12: A common theme from 2024 Back like they never left, Nico Collins and C.J. Stroud moved their way down the field to secure a 7-0 lead on a 6-yard touchdown reception. Christian Kirk was impressive with two catches for 13 yards, while running back Nick Chubb totaled 23 yards on the drive. With that, Houston's starters at the skill position should be done for the afternoon. Stroud likely will finish 6-of-8 for 44 yards and the easy score. Defensive line delivers again Another three-and-out for the Texans, ending with two pressures against Bryce Young and a sack from Mario Edwards Jr. In seven snaps, Houston has pressured Young on four. On the return, Jaylin Noel took it back 28 yards, but a holding call against Jaylin Smith negated the big gain from Houston's rookie receiver. Stroud goes quick then out C.J. Stroud did get the start and immediately connected with Christian Kirk for a 6-yard pickup. On thrid-and-2, Nico Collins was open for an easy score against Michael Jackson in coverage, but Stroud's pass just missed the outstretch Pro Bowl receiver for a quick three-and-out. Defense should have scored On the opening play, Bryce Young overshot second-year receiver Xavier Leggette, leading to an easy interception by All-Pro cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. He returned it 31 yards, setting up the Texans' offense inside Carolina's 30. The only problem? Will Anderson was called for a holding penalty against Chubba Hubbard. The Texans would force a three-and-out after the free first down. Starting defense with C.J. out With C.J. Garder-Johnson still sidelined, here's a look at the Texans' starting defense entering the regular season. Expect M.J. Stewart to get the first crack at the starting role. Texans take the field Sting Island indeed C.J. Stroud to play? It looks like Stroud will be suited up and will see action on Saturday against the Panthers. Dressed to impress Here's a look at Christian Kirk, Danielle Hunter, Ka'imi Fairbairn and others arriving at NRG Stadium. QB1 Arrives Home C.J. Stroud has arrived at NRG Stadium for the first time in the 2025 NFL season. Watch Texans vs. Panthers on Fubo (free trial) TV channel: NFL Network, ABC 13 Houston Streaming: NFL Network | Fubo (free trial) The Texans and Panthers will air live on NFL Network, but it will also air locally on ABC 13 in Houston. It's been announced that Bryce Young, the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, will start for Carolina and will likely play the entire first half of the game. For the Texans, only partial starters will see action, so fans should expect to see C.J. Stroud, Nick Chubb, Danielle Hunter, Nico Collins or others on the field in Houston at NRG Stadium. In addition to airing live on NFL Network and the aforementioned channels, the Texans-Panthers game will also re-air on NFL Network on Sunday at 10 p.m. CT. The NFL Network will re-air the game one final time on Friday, August 23, at 11 a.m. CT. Additionally, out-of-market fans can stream the game live on NFL+. Texans vs. Panthers start time Date: Saturday, August 16 Time: Noon CT Kickoff for the Texans' preseason opener against the Vikings is scheduled for Noon CT, as the two sides gather at NRG Stadium for the showdown between former Kyle Shanahan assistants. Do not expect many of the Texans' starters to get reps in this one since DeMeco Ryans usually prefers to have his starters see reps in the joint practices that begin on Thursday against the Detroit Lions out in Allen Park. Streaming options for the game include the NFL Network and Fubo, which offers a free trial. Texans tickets Looking to buy Houston Texans tickets? We've got you covered. Buy Houston Texans tickets Texans preseason schedule 2025 Below is Houston's preseason schedule. Saturday, August 9: at Minnesota Vikings - L 20-10 Saturday, August 16: vs. Carolina Panthers Saturday, August 23: at Detroit Lions Texans' regular-season schedule 2025 Below is Houston's regular-season schedule. Week 1: Sunday, September 7, 3:45 p.m. CT: at Los Angeles Rams Week 2: Monday, September 15, 6 p.m. CT: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers () Week 3: Sunday, September 21, Noon CT: at Jacksonville Jaguars Week 4: Sunday, September 28, Noon CT: vs. Tennessee Titans Week 5: Sunday, October 5, Noon CT: at Baltimore Ravens Week 6: Sunday, October 12: Bye Week Week 7: Monday, October 20, 9 p.m. CT: at Seattle Seahawks () Week 8: Sunday, October 26, Noon CT: vs. San Francisco 49ers Week 9: Sunday, November 2, Noon CT: vs. Denver Broncos Week 10: Sunday, November 9, Noon CT: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars Week 11: Sunday, November 16, Noon CT: at Tennessee Titans Week 12: Thursday, November 20, 7:20 p.m. CT: vs. Buffalo Bills Week 13: Sunday, November 30, Noon CT: at Indianapolis Colts Week 14: Sunday, December 7, 7:20 p.m. CT: at Kansas City Chiefs Week 15: Sunday, December 14, Noon CT: vs. Arizona Cardinals Week 16: Sunday, December 21 at 3:20 p.m. CT: Vegas Raiders Week 17: TBD: at Los Angeles Chargers. Week 18: TBD: vs. Indianapolis Colts This article originally appeared on Texans Wire: Texans total two second-half picks, secure 20-3 victory over Panthers
USA Today
09-08-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
USC Trojans are turning heads at Houston Texans training camp
The Houston Texans already hit it out of the park last year, drafting USC football safety Calen Bullock. The former Trojan became a top safety in the NFL in his rookie season, the Texans could have another impactful rookie from USC this season in defensive back Jaylin Smith. In his last season at USC, Jaylin Smith finished with 59 tackles, 4 TFLs, and 2 interceptions. In his Trojan tenure Smith lined up at just about every position in the secondary, making him extremely versatile in the NFL for the Texans. At Texans Wire, Cole Thompson ranked Houston's main training camp winners and losers so far. He mentioned Jaylin Smith as a winner. Here is Thompson's breakdown of how Smith is turning heads in camp: "There's a good chance we won't see much of Smith on defense, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been standing out in drills. The third-round pick from USC has worked drills at both safety and outside corner, but a majority of his snaps have come in the nickel position. On Saturday, he broke up a pass intended for Jayden Higgins. He also won his one-on-one battle against Collins during seven-on-seven drills. Right now, there's no home for Smith. Maybe that's promising since the Texans could have him line up anywhere in a pinch. Expect to see him play a significant amount of snaps on Saturday against the Vikings, often moving from the nickel to the boundary and maybe even some reps in the C.J. Gardner-Johnson role." With some guys currently banged up in the Houston secondary, this preseason will be a good opportunity for Jaylin Smith to carve out a role for himself. With former Trojan teammate Calen Bullock there to guide him, backed by a great development staff, it is not out of the realm of possibility that Smith can crack the Texans' secondary rotation. With his skills and hard work we could see him make plays for the Texans this season, filling in at multiple positions in the back end. The Texans struggled with injuries last year, most notably safety Jimmie Ward, who was consistently banged up. They lost Jalen Pitre for the entire season. A versatile player such as Smith would be very beneficial insurance if that happens again.
NBC Sports
08-05-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Texans agree to terms with third-round CB Jaylin Smith
The Texans have agreed to terms with rookie cornerback Jaylin Smith, Aaron Wilson of KPRC reports. Smith is the first of the team's nine draft picks to come to agreement. The Texans made Smith a third-round pick, taking him with the 97th overall choice. Smith will sign a four-year, $6.16 million slotted deal that includes a $1.12 million signing bonus. In his career at USC, Smith started 21 games at nickel corner, 10 at outside corner and one at safety. He earned third-team All-Big Ten in 2024 after totaling 49 tackles, four tackles for loss, two interceptions and two pass deflections.
Yahoo
27-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Three Trojans sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents
Saturday marked the final day of the 2025 NFL Draft. This year, three Trojans heard their names called in the league's annual event: Jaylin Smith, Woody Marks, and Jonah Monheim. Following the conclusion of the draft, any player not selected was free to sign with any team as an undrafted free agent. Thus far, three USC players have done so. Advertisement First, punter Eddie Czaplicki signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Czaplicki won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter last season. Also signing with Kansas City was defensive back Jacobe Covington. Covington played a key role in USC's secondary over the past three years after starting his college career at Washington. Finally, defensive lineman Jamil Muhammad signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Muhammad's position coach at USC was Eric Henderson, who previously worked with the Rams for five years, so he should have some familiarity with the staff already. More USC players could potentially sign with teams in the days to come, so be sure to stay tuned to Trojans Wire for all the latest updates! This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Three USC football players ink UDFA deals, get their NFL opportunity
USA Today
27-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Three Trojans sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents
Three Trojans sign with NFL teams as undrafted free agents Three undrafted Trojans signed deals with NFL teams after the 2025 draft ended on Saturday Saturday marked the final day of the 2025 NFL Draft. This year, three Trojans heard their names called in the league's annual event: Jaylin Smith, Woody Marks, and Jonah Monheim. Following the conclusion of the draft, any player not selected was free to sign with any team as an undrafted free agent. Thus far, three USC players have done so. First, punter Eddie Czaplicki signed with the Kansas City Chiefs. Czaplicki won the Ray Guy Award as the nation's top punter last season. Also signing with Kansas City was defensive back Jacobe Covington. Covington played a key role in USC's secondary over the past three years after starting his college career at Washington. Finally, defensive lineman Jamil Muhammad signed with the Los Angeles Rams. Muhammad's position coach at USC was Eric Henderson, who previously worked with the Rams for five years, so he should have some familiarity with the staff already. More USC players could potentially sign with teams in the days to come, so be sure to stay tuned to Trojans Wire for all the latest updates!
