Sophomore linebacker for Michigan State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 238 lb · Gaylord, MI · Gaylord
How he plays
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 70th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, at Notre Dame
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Sophomore linebacker for Michigan State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Brady Pretzlaff
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Brady Pretzlaff has been at Michigan State through two head coaches in three seasons. One game to point at: 8 tackles against Eastern Michigan — Week 2, 2026.
17 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Jonathan Smith → Pat Fitzgerald. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan State | 17 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Michigan State | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Michigan State | 7 | 5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 28 | 16 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
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 30-20vs Toledo | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-7vs Eastern Michigan | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 3 | L 10-27@ Notre Dame | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 30–20
vs Toledo
5 tackles · 2 solo tackles
With A. Milivojevic — 247 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 87.3 · -5 rush yds (6 car) · C. Mccray — 4 rush yds (1 car)
Since week 2: +4 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles for loss (16th 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
0%0 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups17 tackles.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 6.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 5.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Fitzgerald
Pass share
39.4%
78 pass / 120 run
Plays / game
66.0
3 games
Team sack rate
10.1%
89 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Mason Posa’s 2026 season.
Matches Mason on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Cannon Lewis's junior season at Marshall (2026).
Matches Cannon on
Differs from Cannon on
Player DNA
Redshirt sophomore linebacker enters his third season with the Spartans in 2026 . . . has played in seven games the past two seasons (four in 2024, three in 2025) . . . has 11 career tackles, including two for losses (7 yards) and two pass break-ups. 2025 SEASON (REDSHIRT FRESHMAN): Played in…
4 more on the roster · Michigan State team page