Ali Fayad

Senior defensive end for Western Michigan. 2021: 13 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 40 tackles.

DE · Western Michigan · Sr. · #1

6′2″ · 255 lb · Dearborn, MI

CFB Index 31 · #286 of 370 edge rushersMedium confidenceAll-Conf 1st teamWestern Michigan 2021 alumnus

Recruiting

2★

WDE recruit

No. 3080 nationally · Signed with Western Michigan

Statement game7 tackles · 4.5 TFL · 1 sackat Northern Illinois (FBS) · L 14-17

Top 0.1% tackles for loss game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

4 defensive end for Western Michigan. 2021: 13 sacks, 18 tackles for loss, 40 tackles.

Signed as a 2-star recruit to Western Michigan in 2017.
Named MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Five seasons at Western Michigan, 32 sacks, a first-team All-Conference season (2021) — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

201710 games

Signed with Western Michigan2-star out of Dearborn

202111 games

MAC Defensive Player of the Yearwinner
All-MACfirst

Career arc

Recruit

★★

#3080 national

CFB

College

Western Michigan

2017–2021

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

3 honors · 1 category

🥈

ALL-MAC · 1ST TEAM

All-MAC 1st team (2021)

Coaching lineage · 2017–2021

1 coach

2017–2021

Tim Lester

Western Michigan

Played his entire career under Tim Lester.

2021 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

5 seasons under Tim Lester — 32-25 over that span.

2017Western Michigan6-6HC: Tim Lester · Run-heavy

2018Western Michigan7-6HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2019Western Michigan7-6HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2020Western Michigan4-2HC: Tim Lester · Run-leaning

2021Western Michigan8-5HC: Tim Lester · Run-heavy, fast tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

31Below cohort / limited sample #286 of 370?

Medium confidence7 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: sacks (100th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (100th percentile).

Box-score production (7)

Sacks#4 / 2743 · 100th pct

13.0

Tackles for loss#9 / 2743 · 100th pct

18.0

QB hurries#31 / 2743 · 99th pct

Solo tackles#722 / 2743 · 73rd pct

Passes defended#735 / 2743 · 67th pct

Tackles#928 / 2743 · 65th pct

Forced fumbles#59 / 673 · 46th pct

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

2021 season · 11 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	3.4	1.8	1.3	0.2
Road6g	3.0	1.2	0.8	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-76g	2.8	1.2	0.9	0.2
Weeks 8+5g	3.6	1.7	1.2	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Lance Taylor

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2021

All-Conference 1st team

First team in his league at the position.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

31 · #286 of 370 edge rushers

Two-star recruit. Now #286 at the position.

Career stats

Season	Team
2021	Western Michigan	40	27	18.0	13.0	2	--	--
2020	Western Michigan	17	10	6.0	4.0	--	--	--
2019	Western Michigan	52	23	14.5	6.0	1	--	--
2018	Western Michigan	33	20	11.0	6.5	--	--	--
2017	Western Michigan	20	15	5.5	2.5	--	--	--
Career		162	95	55.0	32.0	3	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2021

W 44–41

at Pittsburgh

2 TFL · 1 SACKS · 2 SOLO

Edged out Pittsburgh on the road in a shootout.

With K. Eleby — 337 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 85.5 · -20 rush yds (7 car) · N. Mihalic — 1 TOT · 46 AVG · 2 IN 20

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2021 season · 11 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	L 14-47@ Michigan	6	5	0.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 6 tackles
Wk 2	W 28-0vs Illinois State	2	1	1.5	1.5	—	0
Wk 3	W 44-41@ Pittsburgh	2	2	2.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 4	W 23-3vs San José State	5	4	3.0	2.0	—	0	2 sacks
Wk 5	W 24-17@ Buffalo	0	0	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 7	W 64-31vs Kent State	2	2	1.0	1.0	—	1
Wk 8	L 15-34@ Toledo	2	2	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 10	L 30-42vs Central Michigan	3	0	1.0	0.5	—	0
Wk 11	W 45-40vs Akron	5	4	2.5	1.5	—	0	2.5 TFL
Wk 12	L 21-22@ Eastern Michigan	4	3	3.0	2.0	—	1	2 sacks
Wk 13	W 42-21@ Northern Illinois	4	2	1.0	1.0	—	0
Total		35	25	16.0	11.5	—	2