Junior linebacker for Arizona State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 230 lb · San Diego, CA · Madison
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.
How he plays
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
Tackles for loss: 95th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 11 tackles, 3.5 TFL, vs Kansas
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior linebacker for Arizona State. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
Martell Hughes
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. This is his third year in the same linebacker corps at Arizona State. One game to point at: 11 tackles, 3.5 TFL against Kansas — Week 3, 2026.
21 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
His career
He was on the field for 3 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
Career arc
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
1 coachPlayed his entire career under Kenny Dillingham.
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Arizona State | 21 | 12 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Arizona State | 39 | 16 | 2.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | -- |
| 2024 | Arizona State | 15 | 7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 75 | 35 | 5.5 | 0.0 | 3 | 2 | -- |
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 70-7vs Morgan State | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | L 20-48@ Texas A&M | 8 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 24-17@ Kansas | 11 | 7 | 3.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 11 tackles |
| Total | 21 | 12 | 3.5 | 0.0 | — | 1 |
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 70–7
vs Morgan State
Since week 2: +11 tackles, +3.5 tackles for loss.
Season context · Team result + system
3 seasons under Kenny Dillingham — 21-9 over that span.
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles for loss (95th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (88th 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.
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
21tackles this seasonTFL rate
17%4 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
5%1 pass breakups21 tackles · 4 for loss.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home1g | 2.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road2g | 9.5 | 1.8 | 0.0 | 0.5 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 7.0 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kenny Dillingham
Pass share
47.4%
93 pass / 103 run
Plays / game
65.3
3 games
Team sack rate
5.0%
101 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Player standing · 2026
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #37 of 73 Big 12 LBs
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.
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
The No. 1,421 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big 12 as a junior.
Player DNA
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
His 2026 production profile sits closest to Chris Woolbright’s 2018 season.
Matches Chris on
Differs from Chris on
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Ayden Jones's junior season at Texas State (2026).
Matches Ayden on
Player DNA
5 more on the roster · Arizona State team page