Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-27vs SMU | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 1 tackles |
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#41
A.J. Cottrill
Senior linebacker for Florida State. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 229 lb · Tampa, FL · Jesuit
Returning to Florida State for 2026
The numbers
1
tackle · 2026
1 game into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 tackles, vs SMU
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Florida State. 2026: 1 game with a box-score line.
His career, year by yearA.J. Cottrill
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. He has spent four seasons in the Florida State linebacker corps. One game to point at: 1 tackles against SMU — Week 1, 2026.
1 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Florida State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Florida State
Played his entire career under Mike Norvell.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Mike Norvell — 21-19 over that span.
2023Florida State13-1HC: Mike Norvell · Balanced
2024Florida State2-10HC: Mike Norvell · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Florida State5-7HC: Mike Norvell · Run-leaning
2026Florida State1-1HC: Mike Norvell · Run-heavy
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
Percentiles are versus same-position peers with enough snaps this season, based on box-score production. There are no play-by-play efficiency bars here: CFBD's play-value model credits offensive players only, so no defensive EPA exists to rank.
Splits & context
Splits
Per-game splits
Through 1 game: 1.0 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mike Norvell
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Florida State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Florida State | 15 | 4 | 2.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Florida State | 10 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Florida State | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 30 | 12 | 2.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Florida State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Florida State
Returning around him
- 1 Florida State player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -22 net (22 in / 44 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Florida State · Last season: 5-7 (AP #25) · Talent rank #21 · 2026 recruiting class #16
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Anthony Koclanakis’s 2021 season.
70%match
Matches Anthony on
Tackle volume
Class year
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Anthony on
Sack rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Kwame Sutton's junior season at Ohio (2023).
Matches Kwame on
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Weight
Differs from Kwame on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like A.J. Cottrill
Background
ACCOLADES: 2025: CSC Academic All-District...All-ACC Academic Team...FSU Team Honors - Special Teams MVP...graduated from Florida State with management degree in Fall 2025...ACC Academic Honor Roll 2024: CSC Academic All-District...ACC Academic Honor Roll 2023: All-ACC Academic Team...Don Powell...
The linebacker corps · Florida State
- #10Chris Jones132 tackles · 2025
- #20Blake Nichelson43 tackles · 2025
- #9Omar Graham Jr.38 tackles · 2025
- #28Mikai Gbayor36 tackles · 2025
- #41A.J. Cottrill15 tackles · 2025
9 more on the roster · Florida State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology