Senior linebacker for UNLV. 2025: 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss.
6′4″ · 230 lb · Greenville, NC
The numbers
tackles · 2025
1.5 TFL · 1 PBU
Best game: 4 tackles, 0.5 TFL, vs UCLA
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for UNLV. 2025: 12 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss.
Donovan Spellman
Three head coaches in four seasons, at three different programs. The receipt: 4 tackles, 0.5 TFL against UCLA — Week 2, 2025.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
3 programs, one constant: he played.
The snaps went the other way.
The role got bigger.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2022–2025
3 coachesPlayed under 3 different head coaches: Marcus Arroyo, Barry Odom, and Dan Mullen. Multi-era developmental context.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Concern: solo tackles (8th 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.
Splits · Per-game
2025 season · 8 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 2.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Road5g | 1.0 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.7 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+5g | 0.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dan Mullen
Pass share
41.6%
87 pass / 122 run
Plays / game
69.7
3 games
Team sack rate
9.3%
108 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2025
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Game log · Week-by-week
2025 season · 8 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 2 | W 30-23vs UCLA | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 7 | W 51-48vs Air Force | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 31-56@ Boise State | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 10 | L 35-40vs New Mexico | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | W 42-10@ Colorado State | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 14 | W 42-17@ Nevada | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 15 | L 21-38@ Boise State | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Bowl | L 10-17@ Ohio | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 12 | 5 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
12 tackles. 1 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 1.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
2026 Outlook
UNLV
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · UNLV
Returning around him
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
UNLV · Last season: 10-4 · Talent rank #56 · 2026 recruiting class #63