Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 38-10vs Southeast Missouri State | 7 | 3 | 2.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 7 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 13-16@ Iowa | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 13 | 7 | 3.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#10
Carson Willich
Senior linebacker for Iowa State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 220 lb · Blue Springs, MO · Blue Springs
CFB Index 20 · #520 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Iowa State for 2026
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
13
tackles · 2026
3 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 7 tackles, 2 TFL, vs Southeast Missouri State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Iowa State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Iowa State in 2022.
Carson Willich
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. Four seasons at Iowa State, two different head coaches: Matt Campbell and Jimmy Rogers. One game to point at: 7 tackles, 2 TFL against Southeast Missouri State — Week 1, 2026.
13 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20224 games
- Signed with Iowa State3-star out of Blue Springs
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Iowa State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Matt Campbell → Jimmy Rogers. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Iowa State4-8HC: Matt Campbell · Pass-leaning
2023Iowa State7-6HC: Matt Campbell · Balanced, slow tempo
2025Iowa State8-4HC: Matt Campbell · Run-leaning
2026Iowa State1-1HC: Jimmy Rogers · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: tackles for loss (95th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
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 splits
Through 2 games: 6.5 TKL/g, 1.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jimmy Rogers
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Iowa State | 13 | 7 | 3.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Iowa State | 18 | 11 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Iowa State | 25 | 13 | 2.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Iowa State | 8 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 64 | 34 | 6.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 38–10
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Iowa State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Iowa State
Returning around him
- 1 Iowa State player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -7 net (48 in / 55 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Iowa State · Last season: 8-4 (AP #22) · Talent rank #68 · 2026 recruiting class #54
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 Power Echols’s 2021 season.
Matches Power on
Solo tackle rate
Weight
TFL rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Muelu Iosefa's junior season at California (2022).
Matches Muelu on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
Hurry rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Carson Willich
Background
Awards & Honors Big 12 Commissioner's Honor Roll (S22, F22, S23, F23, S24, F24, F25) Academic All-Big 12 (2025) Academic All-Big 12 First Team (2023) Academic All-Big 12 Rookie Team (2022) 2025 Played in six games, making three starts ... made 18 tackles with one for a loss ... also had one quart...
The linebacker corps · Iowa State
- #16Malcolm Jones51 tackles · 2025
- #7Sullivan Schlimgen49 tackles · 2025
- #10Carson Willich18 tackles · 2025
- #34Beau Goodwin7 tackles · 2025
- #17Connor Welsch3 tackles · 2025
6 more on the roster · Iowa State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology