Senior defensive lineman for Rice. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 246 lb · Cypress, TX · Cypress Ranch
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
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 sacks, 2 TFL, 5 tackles, vs Houston Christian
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive lineman for Rice. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Chibby Nwajuaku
Disrupts the pocket from the interior. Five seasons at Rice, two different head coaches: Mike Bloomgren and Scott Abell. The receipt: 5 tackles, 2 sacks against Houston Christian — Week 1, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 2 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Mike Bloomgren → Scott Abell. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
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 31-3vs Houston Christian | 5 | 2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 0-52@ Notre Dame | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | L 21-28vs Western Michigan | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 2 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 31–3
2 sacks · 2 tackles for loss · 5 tackles
Dominant 28-point win at home against Houston Christian.
With Q. Jackson — 61 rush yds (10 car) · 2 TD · C. Durkin — 54 yards per punt · 1 punts · 54 long
Since week 2: +3 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (96th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (80th percentile). Concern: solo tackles (2nd 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
TFL rate
17%2 TFLSack rate
17%2 sacksHurry rate
0%0 hurries12 tackles · 2 for loss · 2 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 4.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 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 | 4.0 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Scott Abell
Pass share
21.5%
40 pass / 146 run
Plays / game
62.0
3 games
Team sack rate
4.5%
44 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-AAC
Based on 2025: #32 of 53 American Athletic DLs
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
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
CFB Index positional classification
The No. 1,899 recruit in the country is starting on the defensive line in the American Athletic as a senior.
Player DNA
Disruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Dean Lemon’s 2018 season.
Matches Dean on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a graduate, his production profile tracks closest to Jett Bush's graduate season at Texas (2023).
Matches Jett on
Player DNA
Pronunciation Guide Honors at Rice American Conference All-Academic 2024, 2025, 2026 Rice Honor Athlete 2025, 2026 2026 Preseason Team Captain 2025 Credited with 28 tackles, three for loss (two sacks) while playing in 12 games (2 starts), all career highs… Second on the team with 17 total…
14 more on the roster · Rice team page