5th-year linebacker for Texas Tech. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 245 lb · Haslet, TX · Eaton
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
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 94th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 10 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sacks, at Oregon State
Statement game16 tackles · 1 TFLvs Oregon (FBS) · L 0-23
Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
5th-year linebacker for Texas Tech. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Ben Roberts
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Fourth year in the Texas Tech linebacker corps, same address the whole way. In 2025 the league put his name on paper for the first time: All-Big 12. The receipt on tape: 10 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Houston, Week 3, 2026.
25 TACKLES · 1 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 12
All-Big 12 mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Joey McGuire.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Texas Tech | 25 | 14 | 3.0 | 1.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Texas Tech | 88 | 43 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 5 | 4 | -- |
| 2024 | Texas Tech | 79 | 36 | 4.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Texas Tech | 105 | 56 | 7.0 | 1.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Career | 297 | 149 | 18.5 | 2.0 | 6 | 5 | -- |
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 33-10vs Abilene Christian | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-24@ Oregon State | 10 | 7 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 10 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 28-26vs Houston | 10 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 25 | 14 | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 28–26
vs Houston
0.5 tackles for loss · 10 tackles · 4 solo tackles
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 2 at home.
With W. Hammond — 257 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · QBR 75.5 · 30 rush yds (5 car) · W. Karoll — 58.7 yards per punt · 3 punts · 1 inside the 20
Since week 2: +11 tackles, +1.5 tackles for loss, +1 sack.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Joey McGuire — 30-13 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (94th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (93rd 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
25tackles this seasonTFL rate
12%3 TFLSack rate
4%1 sacksPD rate
4%1 pass breakups25 tackles · 3 for loss · 1 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 7.5 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
| Road1g | 10.0 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 8.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Joey McGuire
Pass share
43.7%
90 pass / 116 run
Plays / game
68.7
3 games
Team sack rate
5.0%
100 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #7 of 73 Big 12 LBs
35% estimated, 95% confidence interval 31–38%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
The No. 1,156 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big 12 as a 5th-year.
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Darrian Beavers’s 2020 season.
Matches Darrian on
Differs from Darrian on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Jared Lloyd's senior season at Missouri State (2026).
Matches Jared on
Player DNA
CAREER AWARDS & HONORS Big 12 Championship Game - Most Outstanding Player (2025, Sr.) All-Big 12 Third Team (2025, Sr.) Shrine Bowl 1000 (2025, Sr.) Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year (2023, R-Fr.) All-Big 12 honorable mention selection (2023, R-Fr.) Associated Press All-Big 12 second team…
16 more on the roster · Texas Tech team page