Dave Herard
Dave Herard
Plays like an extra linebacker near the line. Dave Herard has played for two head coaches across four seasons and two programs. The receipt: 7 tackles, 1 TFL against Middle Tennessee — Week 12, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career Arc
Coaching Lineage · 2022–2025
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Tyson Helton.
2025 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
Splits & context
Supporting Cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tyson Helton
Awards
Player Standing · 17 rungs
Tier 2 · StarterR06 · Starter
Starter. Tackle volume for the position at a full-time starter's level.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Western Kentucky | 58 | 39 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 4 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Western Kentucky | 17 | 14 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Virginia | 40 | 25 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Virginia | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 119 | 80 | 5.0 | 0.0 | 6 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2025
W 55–6
vs North Alabama
3 SOLO · 3 TOT · 1 REC
Dominant 49-point win at home against North Alabama.
How he plays
Play style
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Western Kentucky
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive back · Western Kentucky
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -3 net (19 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Western Kentucky · Last season: 9-4 · Talent rank #100 · 2026 recruiting class #81
DNA match
Player DNA
Box Safety
Lives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jaylen McCollough’s 2023 season.
Matches Jaylen on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Jaylen McCollough's senior season at Tennessee (2023).
Matches Jaylen on
Background
2024 (r-Jr.) | 12/0: Herard appeared in 12 games for WKU during the 2024 season, adding depth at the safety position. He finished the year with 17 tackles and a fumble recovery, which came in WKU's Nov. 9 win at New Mexico State. Herard had a season-high four tackles in WKU's win at Sam Houston o...