Senior linebacker for Minnesota. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 225 lb · Woodbury, MN · Woodbury
The numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 1 sacks, vs Mississippi State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Minnesota. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Joey Gerlach
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Fourth year in the Minnesota linebacker corps, same address the whole way. The receipt: 8 tackles against Akron — Week 3, 2026.
14 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under P.J. Fleck.
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 | W 59-7vs Eastern Illinois | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 13-38vs Mississippi State | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 41-7vs Akron | 8 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Total | 14 | 10 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 59–7
2 tackles · 1 solo tackles
Dominant 52-point win at home against Eastern Illinois.
With J. Tracy — 5 rec · 98 yds · D. Lindsey — 264 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 86.2 · 6 rush yds (2 car)
Since week 2: +8 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
4 seasons under P.J. Fleck — 24-18 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: sacks (84th percentile). Concern: passes defended (28th 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 4.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
P.J. Fleck
Pass share
57.1%
112 pass / 84 run
Plays / game
65.3
3 games
Team sack rate
1.7%
119 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Pass-leaning.
Player standing · 2024
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
The No. 1,341 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big Ten as a senior.
Player DNA
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
His 2024 production profile sits closest to Antwone Santiago’s 2024 season.
Matches Antwone on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Jackson Kaufusi's sophomore season at BYU (2021).
Matches Jackson on
Player DNA
PRONUNCIATION Your browser does not support HTML5 audio. HONORS: Academic All-Big Ten (2025, 2024, 2023) CSC Academic All-District (2024, 2023) 2025 • JUNIOR SEASON: Competed in nine games and made 11 tackles. Game-by-Game: Made one tackle against Buffalo • led Minnesota with five tackles…
5 more on the roster · Minnesota team page