Third-Year Clemson Alum Traded to Jacksonville Jaguars

With less than a week until the 2026 NFL Draft, former Clemson defensive tackle Ruke Orhorhoro is moving from Atlanta, Georgia, to Jacksonville, Florida, following a recent trade, per Adam Schefter.

Orhorhoro was drafted in the 2024 NFL Draft at pick No. 35 of the second round by the Atlanta Falcons. Now, heading into his junior season, Orhorhoro is headed south, where quarterback and fellow Clemson alum Trevor Lawrence awaits, poised to take the Jaguars to the promised land. 

But the trade itself was strangely straightforward. An eye for an eye, in a way. Orhorhoro was swapped for Maason Smith, who boasts some eerie similarities. Both are defensive tackles, and both were drafted in the second round of the 2024 NFL Draft. And they both played for the Tigers in college — albeit Smith’s Tigers were based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 

Their stats are nearly identical, too. Orhorhoro tallied 36 tackles (16 solo) in 25 games across two seasons, while Smith tallied 32 total tackles (14 solo) in 24 games. Orhorhoro registered 3.5 sacks in that time, while Smith registered three. 

They even share the same birthday: October 13 — although Orhorhoro, born in 2001, is a year older than Smith. 

So, with so many similarities in two relatively young NFL careers, examining the winner of this trade surely requires some analysis of their experiences before the big leagues. 

For one, Clemson has the historical edge in developing NFL-level talent at the defensive tackle position, with premier success stories like Dexter Lawrence and Christian Wilkins. Meanwhile, for LSU, Smith’s college, only Glenn Dorsey has had real, recent success in the NFL as a defensive back. 

But secondly, in terms of collegiate experience, Orhorhoro takes the cake. Smith, sidelined by an ACL injury in 2022, only played only two full seasons at LSU, recording 46 total tackles (22 solo) and 6.5 sacks in that time. In four years under head coach Dabo Swinney, Orhorhoro made 88 tackles (33 solo) and 12 sacks. And his progress was promising when all was said and done. 

Orhorhoro’s senior season also saw his joint most solo tackles with 13, and most sacks, 5. 

For the Jaguars, it means that in return for Smith, they got a guy with more experience and proven ability to get through to opposing quarterbacks — which is great for a team who were looking for a better pass rusher to better fit their defensive schemes. 

"If I had to choose a slight winner in this trade, I would go with the Jaguars. Orhorhoro has earned more playing time and produced more sacks over the past two seasons. He's also a better run defender than Smith," ESPN analyst Seth Walder wrote. 

Only time will truly tell, especially with the influence of potential draft picks. But as for Orhorhoro, it might be a good idea to kindle a connection with Trevor Lawrence, because the only thing stronger than one Tiger is two.