Senior linebacker for Tennessee. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′0″ · 230 lb · Manassas, VA · Unity Reed
CFB Index
A single number blending on-field production (an EPA-based value lane) with box-score output for this player's position.
0-100, scaled within each position's own cohort — not directly comparable across positions.
How he plays
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage.
Passes defended: 92nd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 8 tackles, 1 TFL, at Georgia Tech
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Tennessee. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Amare Campbell
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Four head coaches in four seasons, at three different programs. His first career honor landed in 2025: All-Big Ten. One game to point at: 8 tackles, 1 TFL against Georgia Tech — Week 2, 2026.
17 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-BIG TEN
All-Big Ten mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Josh Heupel.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Tennessee
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tennessee | 17 | 11 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Penn State | 103 | 64 | 9.5 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | North Carolina | 69 | 43 | 9.0 | 5.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | North Carolina | 14 | 11 | 2.0 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Career | 203 | 129 | 21.5 | 9.5 | 5 | 1 | -- |
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 56-9vs Furman | 6 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 45-24@ Georgia Tech | 8 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 42-9vs Kennesaw State | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 11 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 56–9
vs Furman
6 tackles · 4 solo tackles
Dominant 47-point win at home against Furman.
With F. Brandon — 226 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · 68 rush yds (10 car) · 2 TD · M. Matthews — 4 rec · 132 yds · 2 TD
Since week 2: +3 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: passes defended (92nd percentile). Strength: solo tackles (84th percentile).
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.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
17tackles this seasonTFL rate
6%1 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
12%2 pass breakups17 tackles · 1 for loss.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 4.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 8.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 5.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Josh Heupel
Pass share
35.9%
74 pass / 132 run
Plays / game
68.7
3 games
Team sack rate
5.0%
80 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
The No. 1,293 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the SEC as a senior.
Player DNA
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Rashad Byrd’s 2017 season.
Matches Rashad on
Differs from Rashad on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Louis Frye's senior season at Temple (2025).
Matches Louis on
CAREER HONORS 2026 Bednarik Award Preseason Watch List 2026 Butkus Award Preseason Watch List 2026 Preseason All-SEC Second Team (Athlon, Phil Steele) 2026 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 2025 All-Big Ten Third Team (Media) 2025 All-Big Ten Honorable Mention (Coaches) CAREER Experienced and…
6 more on the roster · Tennessee team page