Former Penn State defensive end Smith Vilbert has opted to continue his collegiate career in the ACC with the North Carolina Tar Heels. Vilbert committed to the Tar Heels and first-year head coach Bill Belichick on Wednesday evening.
While announcing his commitment, Vilbert left a message for Penn State and Nittany Lions fans.
"PSU FAMILY I just wanted to say I appreciate all the love and support over the years that I’ve been a part of this program," Vilbert said in a statement on X. "I’ve met some great individuals that I can honestly call my brothers and some great coaches. I am glad I can officially say I am a PSU graduate/alumni, thank you."
During his career with Penn State, Vilbert appeared in 35 games, recording 20 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. Of those 4.5 sacks, three came in the 2021 Outback Bowl against Arkansas. While many thought that breakout performance could result in a big 2022 campaign for Vilbert, he would play just one game for the Nittany Lions in 2022 but an injury kept him out of the 2023 season completely.
This past season, Vilbert appeared in a career-high 16 games recording 12 tackles, four tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks.
A former standout at St. Joseph's High School in Montvale, New Jersey, Vilbert signed with Penn State over offers from Baylor, Boston College, Florida, Florida State, Maryland, Miami (FL), Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, UCF, and Virginia.
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