Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 55-3vs Maine | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 27-24@ East Carolina | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 10 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1 | 2 |
#10
Colton Phares
Senior linebacker for App State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 225 lb · Beaufort, SC
CFB Index 87 · #26 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to App 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
10
tackles · 2026
1 TFL · 1 sacks · 2 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Maine
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for App State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to App State in 2023.
Colton Phares
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Colton Phares has played for two head coaches in three seasons at App State. 2025 brought the first one: All-Sun Belt. The receipt on tape: 6 tackles against East Carolina, Week 2, 2026.
10 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
2023
- Signed with App State3-star out of Beaufort
202513 games
- All-Sun Beltsecond
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
App State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-SUN BELT · 2ND TEAM
All-Sun Belt 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coaches2024
App State
2025–2026era →
Dowell Loggains
App State
Coaching transition mid-career: Shawn Clark → Dowell Loggains. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2024App State5-6HC: Shawn Clark · Balanced
2025App State5-8HC: Dowell Loggains · Pass-leaning
2026App State2-0HC: Dowell Loggains · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: passes defended (94th percentile). Strength: sacks (87th percentile). Concern: tackles (10th 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 splits
Through 2 games: 5.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 1.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dowell Loggains
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
In the mix to repeat All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #2 of 63 Sun Belt LBs
How the All-Sun Belt estimate is computed
49% estimated, 95% confidence interval 43–54%. 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.
Career stats
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 55–3
vs Maine
4 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 SACKS
Dominant 52-point win at home against Maine.
With M. Singleton — 291 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · -9 rush yds (5 car) · N. Branch — 44 rush yds (2 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
App State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · App State
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -5 net (38 in / 43 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
App State · Last season: 5-8 · Talent rank #85 · 2026 recruiting class #59
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Blayne Myrick’s 2024 season.
84%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Blayne on
TFL rate
Class year
Hurry rate
Differs from Blayne on
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Blayne Myrick's sophomore season at South Alabama (2024).
80%match
All-Sun Belt
Matches Blayne on
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
TFL rate
Differs from Blayne on
Class year (lower)
The linebacker corps · App State
- #10Colton Phares101 tackles · 2025
- #56Kyle Arnholt56 tackles · 2025
- Jaelin Willis39 tackles · 2025
- #13Keshawn Thomas37 tackles · 2025
- #22Ronnie Porter15 tackles · 2025
11 more on the roster · App State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology