Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 28-9vs Austin Peay | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-26vs Delaware | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-31vs NC State | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 17 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
Senior linebacker for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 240 lb · Nashville, TN · Lipscomb Academy
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
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
QB hurries: 93rd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, vs NC State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Bryan Longwell
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. This is his fourth year in the same linebacker corps at Vanderbilt. One game to point at: 7 tackles against NC State — Week 3, 2026.
17 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Clark Lea.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Vanderbilt | 17 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Vanderbilt | 70 | 36 | 8.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Vanderbilt | 88 | 41 | 7.5 | 1.5 | 4 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Vanderbilt | 36 | 18 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 211 | 102 | 17.0 | 2.5 | 6 | 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 28-9vs Austin Peay | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-26vs Delaware | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-31vs NC State | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Total | 17 | 7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 35–31
vs NC State
Since week 2: +7 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Clark Lea — 22-19 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: qb hurries (93rd percentile). Concern: passes defended (28th 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
3%0 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups17 tackles · 0 for loss.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 5.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 5.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Clark Lea
Pass share
48.4%
90 pass / 96 run
Plays / game
62.0
3 games
Team sack rate
2.1%
95 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #21 of 76 SEC LBs
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
The No. 1,501 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the SEC as a senior.
Player DNA
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Bryan Thomas Jr.’s 2023 season.
Matches Bryan on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Wesley Steiner's senior season at Auburn (2023).
Matches Wesley on
Player DNA
6 more on the roster · Vanderbilt team page