Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 21-24@ Troy | 5 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 17-23vs Tulsa | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Total | 8 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
#21
Dean Ford
Junior linebacker for Sam Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 230 lb · Houston, TX · Katy Morton Ranch HS
Returning to Sam Houston for 2026
The numbers
8
tackles · 2026
1.5 TFL · 1 PBU
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, 0.5 TFL, vs Tulsa
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Sam Houston. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Sam Houston in 2024.
Dean Ford
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. This is his second year in the same linebacker corps at Sam Houston. One game to point at: 5 tackles, 1 TFL against Troy — Week 1, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Sam Houston3-star out of Morton Ranch
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Sam Houston
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Phil Longo — 2-12 over that span.
2025Sam Houston2-10HC: Phil Longo · Balanced
2026Sam Houston0-2HC: Phil Longo · Pass-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: tackles (0th 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: 4.0 TKL/g, 0.8 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Phil Longo
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 | Sam Houston | 8 | 1 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Sam Houston | 32 | 23 | 6.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 40 | 24 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Sam Houston
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Sam Houston
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +5 net (20 in / 15 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Sam Houston · Last season: 2-10 · Talent rank #117 · 2026 recruiting class #126
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 Alex Kilgore’s 2023 season.
Matches Alex on
Weight
TFL rate
Differs from Alex on
Sack rate (lower)
Hurry rate (higher)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Tah'j Butler's freshman season at Georgia Tech (2024).
Matches Tah'j on
Solo tackle rate
Tackle volume
Height
Differs from Tah'j on
Sack rate (higher)
Class year (lower)
Background
2024 Season Did not see any game action ... utilized redshirt to retain year of eligibility Morton Ranch High School Unanimous 2023 First Team All-District 19-6A linebacker ... 2022 Second Team All-District linebacker in District 19-6A ... named team’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 ... als...
The linebacker corps · Sam Houston
- #21Dean Ford32 tackles · 2025
- #42Ca'lub Holloway29 tackles · 2025
- #26Tokyo Gordon19 tackles · 2025
- #45Eli Wallace1 tackle · 2025
- #33Brian Bates Jr.2 games · 2026
7 more on the roster · Sam Houston team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology