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 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-26vs Delaware | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-31vs NC State | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
#22
Bryce Cowan
Senior linebacker for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′4″ · 235 lb · Tallahassee, FL · Amos P. Godby
CFB Index 54 · #253 of 583 LBsHigh confidence
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.
The numbers
7
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 1 INT, vs NC State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Vanderbilt. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Vanderbilt in 2022.
Bryce Cowan
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. He has spent four seasons in the Vanderbilt linebacker corps. The receipt: 4 tackles, 1 INT against NC State — Week 3, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Vanderbilt3-star out of Amos P. Godby
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Vanderbilt
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Vanderbilt
Played his entire career under Clark Lea.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Vanderbilt | 7 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2025 | Vanderbilt | 32 | 20 | 4.0 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Vanderbilt | 15 | 8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Vanderbilt | 15 | 8 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 69 | 38 | 7.0 | 3.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Bryce Cowan's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 35–31
vs NC State
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +4 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Clark Lea — 22-19 over that span.
2023Vanderbilt2-10HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
2024Vanderbilt7-6HC: Clark Lea · Run-heavy, slow tempo
2025Vanderbilt10-3HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Vanderbilt3-0HC: Clark Lea · Balanced, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidenceReinvented
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.3 | 0.0 | 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.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
54 · #253 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #253 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-SEC
Based on 2025: #43 of 76 SEC LBs
How the All-SEC estimate is computed
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.
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
Starter
The No. 1,064 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the SEC as a senior.
DNA match
Player DNA
Sideline-to-Sideline
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Elliott Brown’s 2021 season.
70%match
Matches Elliott on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Elliott on
Sack rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Weight (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jared Bartlett's junior season at West Virginia (2022).
75%match
All-Big 12
Matches Jared on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Differs from Jared on
Height (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Bryce Cowan
The linebacker corps · Vanderbilt
- #11Bryan Longwell70 tackles · 2025
- #24Nicholas Rinaldi47 tackles · 2025
- #22Bryce Cowan32 tackles · 2025
- #30Austin Howard8 tackles · 2025
- #20Jamison Curtis8 tackles · 2025
6 more on the roster · Vanderbilt team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology