Smith Sonder Vilbert (born May 11, 2001) is a Haitian American football defensive end for the Minnesota Vikings of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions and for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
Early life and high school
Vilbert was born in Haiti, where he lived until he moved to the United States as a young child. He attended Saint Joseph Regional High School located in Montvale, New Jersey, where he helped lead his team to a State Title.[1] Coming out of high school, he was rated as a three-star recruit and the 49th overall defensive end by 247Sports, where he committed to play college football for the Penn State Nittany Lions over Florida.[2]
College career
Penn State
As a freshman in 2019, Vilbert used the season to redshirt.[3] During the 2020 season, he would play in four games.[4] In the 2022 Outback Bowl, Vilbert had a breakout game recording three sacks against Arkansas.[5] He finished the 2021 season, totaling seven tackles with four being for a loss, and three sacks.[6] Heading into 2022, Vilbert would miss the entirety of the season with an injury.[7] In 2023, he would once again miss the entirety of the season with an injury.[8] Vilbert returned in 2024, where he notched 12 tackles with four being for a loss, a sack and a half, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery. After the conclusion of the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.[9]
North Carolina
Vilbert transferred to play for the North Carolina Tar Heels.[10] During the 2025 season, he tallied a career-best 22 tackles with six going for a loss, a sack, and a forced fumble.[11]
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | Wingspan | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 5+3⁄4 in (1.97 m) |
290 lb (132 kg) |
34+1⁄4 in (0.87 m) |
10+1⁄8 in (0.26 m) |
6 ft 11+1⁄8 in (2.11 m) |
5.11 s | 1.71 s | 2.92 s | 4.69 s | 7.74 s | 29.5 in (0.75 m) |
9 ft 6 in (2.90 m) |
19 reps |
| All values from Pro Day[12] | ||||||||||||
After not being selected in the 2026 NFL draft, Vilbert signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent on May 8, 2026.[13]
References
- ^ Bodani, Frank (December 31, 2024). “From Haiti to Penn State football to the CFP: Why Smith Vilbert never ‘gave up.’“. York Daily Record. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Pickel, Greg. “3-star defensive end Smith Vilbert commits to Penn State”. PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Ralph, Max. “Important Penn State depth defender appears to announce 2025 return”. PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Bodani, Frank (January 14, 2025). “He’s back for a seventh year of Penn State football: How Smith Vilbert is one-of-a-kind”. York Daily Record. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Riveria, Dane (January 1, 2022). “Smith Vilbert, former North Jersey star, has record day for Penn State in Outback Bowl”. Bergen Record. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Yoder, Alexis. “Penn State football junior defensive end Smith Vilbert unavailable for 2022 season”. The Daily Collegian. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ McGonigal, Johnny. “Penn State DE Smith Vilbert unavailable for the 2022 season”. PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ McGonigal, Johnny. “Penn State defensive end Smith Vilbert to miss the season with an injury”. PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Flounders, Bob. “Hey, Bob! Worries about former Penn State DE Smith Vilbert in the transfer portal? Very few”. PennLive.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Wogenrich, Mark. “Penn State Football: Former Nittany Lion to Join Bill Belichick at North Carolina”. Penn State Nittany Lions On SI. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ Ripley, Trevor. “Vikings Add Two Defensive Players After Promising Rookie Tryout”. Heavy.com. Retrieved May 16, 2026.
- ^ “Smith Vilbert College Football Profile”. DraftScout.com. Retrieved May 30, 2026.
- ^ Ragatz, Will. “Vikings Sign Former Penn State, UNC D-Lineman After Rookie Minicamp”. Minnesota Vikings On SI. Retrieved May 16, 2026.