Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 13-14vs Colorado | 6 | 4 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 24-45vs Tennessee | 11 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 44-11vs Mercer | 3 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 20 | 9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#2
E.J. Lightsey
Senior linebacker for Georgia Tech. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 230 lb · Fitzgerald, GA · Fitzgerald H.S.
CFB Index 39 · #392 of 583 LBsHigh confidence
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
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 82nd percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
20
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 11 tackles, vs Tennessee
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Georgia Tech. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Georgia in 2022.
E.J. Lightsey
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Kirby Smart and Brent Key. One game to point at: 11 tackles against Tennessee — Week 2, 2026.
20 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 4 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
20223 games
- Signed with Georgia3-star out of Fitzgerald
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Georgia Tech | 20 | 9 | 1.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Georgia Tech | 76 | 39 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Georgia Tech | 23 | 10 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| 2022 | Georgia | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 123 | 60 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
E.J. Lightsey's 2026 production
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2026
W 44–11
vs Mercer
0.5 tackles for loss · 3 tackles · 1 solo tackles
Dominant 33-point win at home against Mercer.
With A. Mendoza — 249 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 82.2 · -8 rush yds (1 car) · A. Bacchetta — 51.3 yards per punt · 4 punts · 1 inside the 20
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +3 tackles, +0.5 tackles for loss.
Season context · Team result + system
2022Georgia15-0HC: Kirby Smart · Balanced
2024Georgia Tech7-6HC: Brent Key · Run-leaning
2025Georgia Tech9-4HC: Brent Key · Run-leaning
2026Georgia Tech1-2HC: Brent Key · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: tackles (82nd percentile). Concern: passes defended (28th 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.
Defensive profile
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
20tackles this seasonTFL rate
8%2 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups20 tackles · 2 for loss.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 6.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 6.7 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Brent Key
Pass share
46.7%
85 pass / 97 run
Plays / game
60.7
3 games
Team sack rate
7.9%
101 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #54 of 74 ACC LBs
How the All-ACC estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. 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.
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Tyler Grubbs’s 2022 season.
Matches Tyler on
Solo tackle rate
Weight
Height
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Tim Terry Jr.'s senior season at Buffalo (2021).
93%match
Matches Tim on
Class year
Solo tackle rate
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like E.J. Lightsey
The linebacker corps · Georgia Tech
- #44Kyle Efford77 tackles · 2025
- #2E.J. Lightsey76 tackles · 2025
- #1Cayman Spaulding41 tackles · 2025
- Melvin Jordan IV18 tackles · 2025
- #34Myles Forristall1 tackle · 2025
3 more on the roster · Georgia Tech team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology