Game log · Week-by-week
2023 season · 1 game
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 58-21@ North Texas | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Total | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#99
Ethan Saunders
Junior defensive lineman on California's 2023 roster.
6′3″ · 290 lb · Inglewood, CA
CFB Index 46 · #157 of 278 interior linemenLow confidenceCalifornia 2023 alumnus
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 story
3 defensive lineman on California's roster.
The record fills in as he plays.
His career, year by yearEthan Saunders
Wins his gap play after play. Fourth year in the California defensive front, same address the whole way. The receipt: 2 tackles, 1 TFL against North Texas — Week 1, 2023.
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
How it ended
Four seasons at California, 4 sacks — his college career is complete.
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
California
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2020–2023
1 coach2020–2023
California
Played his entire career under Justin Wilcox.
2023 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under Justin Wilcox — 16-25 over that span.
2020California1-3HC: Justin Wilcox · Balanced
2021California5-7HC: Justin Wilcox · Balanced
2022California4-8HC: Justin Wilcox · Pass-leaning
2023California6-7HC: Justin Wilcox · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Low confidence
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 1 game: 2.0 TKL/g, 1.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tosh Lupoi
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2022
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
46 · #157 of 278 interior linemen
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | California | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | California | 35 | 12 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2021 | California | 20 | 12 | 4.5 | 3.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2020 | California | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 58 | 26 | 6.5 | 4.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2022 production profile sits closest to Noah Taliancich’s 2022 season.
Matches Noah on
Class year
Height
Hurry rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Alex VanSumeren's junior season at Michigan State (2025).
86%match
Matches Alex on
Class year
Weight
TFL rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Ethan Saunders
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology