Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 73-3vs VMI | 3 | 1 | 1.5 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 44-21vs Old Dominion | 4 | 3 | 2.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 35-26@ Maryland | 6 | 5 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Total | 13 | 9 | 4.5 | 3.0 | — | 1 |
#3
Kaleb Spencer
Senior linebacker for Virginia Tech. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 229 lb · Gloucester, VA · Life Christian Academy
CFB Index 48 · #306 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.
The numbers
13
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, at Maryland
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Virginia Tech. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Miami in 2023.
- Transferred from Miami to Virginia Tech in 2024.
Kaleb Spencer
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Across four seasons and two programs, three head coaches: Mario Cristobal, Brent Pry and James Franklin. The receipt on tape: 6 tackles, 1 sacks against Maryland, Week 3, 2026.
13 TACKLES · 3 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.
2023
- Signed with Miami3-star out of Life Christian Academy
202411 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2025
Virginia Tech
Coaching transition mid-career: Brent Pry → James Franklin. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Virginia Tech | 13 | 9 | 4.5 | 3.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Virginia Tech | 67 | 31 | 9.0 | 0.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Virginia Tech | 32 | 22 | 5.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2023 | Miami | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 113 | 62 | 18.5 | 4.5 | 4 | 1 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Kaleb Spencer'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 35–26
at Maryland
1 sacks · 1 tackles for loss · 6 tackles
With E. Grunkemeyer — 314 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 95.7 · 13 rush yds (4 car) · 1 TD · N. Totten — 43.3 yards per punt · 3 punts · 1 inside the 20
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +6 tackles, +1 tackle for loss, +1 sack.
Season context · Team result + system
2023Miami7-6HC: Mario Cristobal · Balanced
2024Virginia Tech6-7HC: Brent Pry · Run-leaning
2025Virginia Tech3-9HC: Brent Pry · Run-leaning
2026Virginia Tech3-0HC: James Franklin · Balanced, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: sacks (99th percentile). Strength: tackles for loss (98th percentile).
Box-score production (7)
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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 3.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 6.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 4.3 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
James Franklin
Pass share
50.0%
115 pass / 115 run
Plays / game
76.7
3 games
Team sack rate
5.2%
115 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced, fast tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Part-time starter
Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
48 · #306 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #306 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-ACC
Based on 2025: #34 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 2025 production profile sits closest to Jeslord Boateng’s 2021 season.
81%match
Matches Jeslord on
Sack rate
TFL rate
Class year
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jonathan Thompson's junior season at Cincinnati (2025).
90%match
Matches Jonathan on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Kaleb Spencer
The linebacker corps · Virginia Tech
- #3Kaleb Spencer67 tackles · 2025
- #16Noah Chambers43 tackles · 2025
- #33Keon Wylie28 tackles · 2025
- #30Curtis Jones Jr.22 tackles · 2025
- #41George Ballance10 tackles · 2025
5 more on the roster · Virginia Tech team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology