Junior linebacker for Syracuse. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 240 lb · Cranberry Township, PA · Seneca Valley
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.
Tackles for loss: 91st percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 11 tackles, 2 TFL, 1 sacks, vs California
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior linebacker for Syracuse. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Chris D'Appolonia
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Three head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. His first career honor landed in 2025: All-MAC. The receipt: 11 tackles, 2 TFL against California — Week 2, 2026.
20 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
Career arc
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
ALL-MAC
All-MAC mention (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Nunzio Campanile → Fran Brown. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Syracuse
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 66-3vs New Hampshire | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 18-21vs California | 11 | 8 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 3 | L 13-27@ Pittsburgh | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 12 | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 66–3
1 tackles for loss · 4 tackles · 2 solo tackles
Dominant 63-point win at home against New Hampshire.
With S. Angeli — 263 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · -14 rush yds (3 car) · D. Samuel Jr. — 2 tackles · 2 solo tackles
Since week 2: +5 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles for loss (91st percentile). Strength: solo tackles (88th 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
20tackles this seasonTFL rate
15%3 TFLSack rate
5%1 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups20 tackles · 3 for loss · 1 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 7.5 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 6.7 | 1.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Fran Brown
Pass share
50.2%
116 pass / 115 run
Plays / game
77.0
3 games
Team sack rate
5.3%
131 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, fast tempo.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Christian Alliegro’s 2025 season.
Matches Christian on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to James Walley Jr.'s senior season at UTSA (2026).
Matches James on
Player DNA
Career Overview: All-MAC linebacker at Toledo, who transferred to Syracuse in January, 2026 … Appeared in 26 games with 12 starts at linebacker, including starting every game of the 2025 regular season … Has 80 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sacks, four pass breakups, two quarterback…
7 more on the roster · Syracuse team page