Senior defensive end for Baylor. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 247 lb · St. Petersburg, FL · Pinellas Park HS
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 numbers
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 2.5 TFL, 4 tackles, vs Auburn
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior defensive end for Baylor. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Garrick Ponder
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Garrick Ponder has played for two head coaches across two seasons and two programs. One game to point at: 2 tackles against Louisiana Tech — Week 3, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 2 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Baylor
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Baylor | 9 | 5 | 4.0 | 2.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Southern Miss | 37 | 16 | 11.5 | 4.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 46 | 21 | 15.5 | 6.5 | -- | -- | -- |
Game by game
Point color shows the opponent's defensive strength that week (red = weaker defense, blue = stronger) — dashed line is this player's own season average.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 16-17@ Auburn | 4 | 3 | 2.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 44-3vs Prairie View A&M | 3 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 36-19vs Louisiana Tech | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 5 | 4.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 44–3
1 sacks · 1.5 tackles for loss · 3 tackles
Dominant 41-point win at home against Prairie View A&M.
With N. Bennett — 301 yds · 2 TD · 2 INT · QBR 29.6 · 13 rush yds (2 car) · 1 TD · C. Knighten — 66 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD
Since week 2: +2 tackles, +1 hurry.
Season context · Team result + system
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles for loss (97th percentile). Strength: sacks (96th percentile). Concern: tackles (0th 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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 2.5 | 0.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 4.0 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 3.0 | 1.3 | 0.7 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Dave Aranda
Pass share
48.2%
119 pass / 128 run
Plays / game
82.3
3 games
Team sack rate
4.6%
131 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, fast tempo.
Player standing · 2025
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Production · CFB Index Score
Unranked recruit. Now #142 at the position.
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
Player DNA
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Trey Moore’s 2022 season.
Matches Trey on
Differs from Trey on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Nelson Ceaser's sophomore season at Houston (2022).
Matches Nelson on
Differs from Nelson on
Player DNA
Previous School: Spent the 2025 season at Southern Miss and the 2022-24 seasons at North Alabama … Has played in 28 career games, including 13 with USM and 15 at UNA. 2025: Played in 13 games for the Golden Eagles, totaling 37 tackles, 11.5 for a loss, with 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one…
20 more on the roster · Baylor team page