Ryle High School’s Dillon Smith doesn’t mess around on the football field. The 6-foot-4, 250-pound senior lineman is a well-prepared and productive player. He has risen to every challenge by fine-tuning his craft in a serious-minded pursuit of excellence.
Ryle coach Mike Engler praises Smith as an intelligent and efficient athlete. The two-way lineman is quick to absorb new information in the film room and during games. Engler highlights Smith’s high motor, preparedness and rapid processing abilities. All of it enables him to play at his fastest on defense. On offense, he’s part of a rotation at tight end.
“Dillon’s a very hard worker and an outstanding football player because of it. He can do a lot of things,” Engler said. “He’s going to get excited when we do well. But he’s also going to keep working hard. He’s a quieter guy as he goes about doing his job. From that perspective, he’s also a good leader, and he’s always been that way.”
From a young age, Smith made a swift impression on coaches with his size, strength, and versatility. Playing as a two-way lineman in the Union Raiders program, he showcased solid technique and a willingness to learn.
Smith’s rapid rise through the ranks was partly due to his ability to play multiple positions. He played offensive tackle, tight end, defensive tackle and defensive end. His eight years of all-star youth football included a Kentucky Middle School Football Association seventh-grade state championship. He’s a member of the Union Raiders Football Hall of Fame.
At the high school level, Smith continued to excel and improve. He was one of 10 freshmen to make the Ryle varsity team in 2021. He quickly became a full-time starter as a sophomore defensive lineman. His impact as an edge rusher was immediate. Smith led the team with nine sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss.
“Dillon checks all the boxes with ability, IQ, work ethic, leadership and productivity,” said Engler who this season plans to use him more as an interior lineman where Smith projects to play in college. “He’s off the charts with all that. He just picks everything up so fast.”
Despite increased attention from opposing teams during his junior season, Smith still managed to register six sacks and eight tackles for loss. He also had three interceptions, one of which he returned for a 70-yard touchdown. His performance earned him all-Division I honors from the Northern Kentucky Football Coaches Association. He was also an all-state honorable mention for the 8-5 Raiders.
“It all happened so fast,” Smith said. “And now I’m in my last year and I think we’re going to have a great team.”
Smith’s stellar sophomore and junior seasons quickly put him on the radar of Division I colleges. He wasted no time in making his decision. Moments after receiving his first offer from Louisville during a campus visit in April, he accepted.
As a result, the Cardinals landed one of the top 2025 prospects in Kentucky. Smith ranks as the No. 11 senior defensive lineman in the Commonwealth, according to 247Sports.
“He accepted right there on the spot, before his junior year ended,” Engler said. “He’d been to Louisville several times and they developed a good relationship. I advised him before he went that something like that could happen.”
There was no recruiting rollercoaster ride. No surprises, no headaches and no problems for the fourth commitment in Louisville’s 2025 recruiting class.
It was all smiles for the Smiths.
And what a whirlwind it was for the family, even though Smith experienced far less stress than the average recruit. The only issue is team allegiance.
“My mom’s a big Kentucky fan. She went to college there and I’ve been a fan all my life,” Smith said. “Right now, we are a house divided when it comes to college football, but I’ll win her over.”
No, Dillon Smith does not mess around.
He does mess with opponents while playing defense. He disrupts schemes and dismantles game plans, leaving them in such a shambles that it creates opportunities for teammates like Jacob Savage, one of Kentucky’s top tackling linebackers since Smith started wreaking havoc up front two years ago.
“A great teammate and we’re good friends too. He’s pretty much my ride to practice every day,” said Savage, who has seven college offers including one from Louisville. “We live in the same neighborhood near Lassing Pointe. We’ve golfed there, but we usually wind up talking about football. I’ll say one thing, he sure can hit the ball far.”
Smith’s football goals are just as far-reaching: win a state championship at Ryle, excel at Louisville and convert his Kentucky Wildcats-loving mom into a Cardinals football fan.
“I will make her a Louisville fan while I’m playing,” Smith said. “I’m 100% confident.”