Last confirmed: SMU, 2017. No 2026 box-score games on record.
6′4″ · 265 lb · Pottsboro, TX
Justin Lawler: DE · SMU · #99.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Justin Lawler
Holds up snap after snap without a weakness to attack. Three seasons at SMU, two different head coaches: June Jones and Chad Morris. A game that shows it: 10 tackles against Navy — Week 11, 2017.
Play style
No single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
74 tackles. 2 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 15.5 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.
No outlet on our list has written about him by name this season.
The Dallas Morning News Oct 20
On3 Oct 11Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Game log · Week-by-week
2017 season · 12 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 58-14vs Stephen F. Austin | 4 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 54-32vs North Texas | 7 | 5 | 3.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 3 | L 36-56@ No. 20 TCU | 9 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | W 44-21vs Arkansas State | 3 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 5 | W 49-28vs UConn | 7 | 5 | 4.0 | 4.0 | — | 0 | 4 sacks |
| Wk 6 | L 22-35@ Houston | 7 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 8 | W 31-28@ Cincinnati | 6 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 38-34vs Tulsa | 8 | 8 | 3.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | 3.0 TFL |
| Wk 10 | L 24-31vs No. 15 UCF | 4 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 11 | L 40-43@ Navy | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 10 tackles |
| Wk 12 | L 45-66@ No. 18 Memphis | 4 | 4 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 13 | W 41-38vs Tulane | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 74 | 42 | 15.5 | 9.5 | — | 2 |
Week 5 · 2017
W 49-28
vs UConn
4 sacks · 4 tackles for loss · 7 tackles
Dominant 21-point win at home against UConn.
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Sack rate
13%10 sacksTFL rate
21%16 TFLHurry rate
14%10 hurriesPressure-to-sack conversion
49%10 of 20 pressures74 tackles · 15.5 for loss · 9.5 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2017 season · 12 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home7g | 5.4 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.1 |
| Road5g | 7.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-76g | 6.2 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.3 |
| Weeks 8+6g | 6.2 | 1.2 | 0.6 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Chad Morris
Pass share
50.1%
485 pass / 483 run
Plays / game
74.5
13 games
Team sack rate
4.4%
523 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Player standing · 2017
74 tackles in 12 games, more tackles a game than nearly every FBS defensive lineman who plays every week.
How it ended
Three seasons at SMU, 16 sacks — drafted at #244 overall by the Los Angeles Rams.
His career
He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.
Coaching lineage · 2013–2017
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: June Jones → Chad Morris. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where he ended up · NFL
Los Angeles RamsEntering 9th NFL season
Los Angeles RamsEntering 9th NFL season
