Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 7-38@ New Mexico | 5 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 13-10vs Colgate | 10 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | Season-high 10 tackles |
| Wk 3 | W 24-10vs Wyoming | 6 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 21 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
#35
Mayson Hitchens
Senior linebacker for Central Michigan. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 225 lb · Anaheim, CA · El Modeno H.S.
How he plays
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait.
Tackles: 86th percentile.
The full scouting readThe numbers
21
tackles · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 10 tackles, 1 INT, vs Colgate
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Senior linebacker for Central Michigan. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
The full story, with sourcesMayson Hitchens
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. The receipt: 10 tackles, 1 INT against Colgate — Week 2, 2026.
21 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Central Michigan
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Central Michigan | 21 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
| Career | 21 | 6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | 1 | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Mayson Hitchens'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 2 · 2026
W 13–10
vs Colgate
1 interceptions · 10 tackles · 1 hurries
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 3 at home.
With A. H Flores — 57 yds · 0 TD · 1 INT · QBR 24.4 · 122 rush yds (22 car) · 1 TD · D. Duley — 32.5 yards per punt · 4 punts · 1 inside the 20
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +6 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2026Central Michigan2-1HC: Matt Drinkall · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: tackles (86th percentile). Concern: tackles for loss (16th 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.
Defensive profile
Defender profile · Production by role
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
21tackles this seasonTFL rate
0%0 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups21 tackles · 1 interception.
Splits & context
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 8.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 5.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 7.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Matt Drinkall
Pass share
25.1%
44 pass / 131 run
Plays / game
58.3
3 games
Team sack rate
12.8%
47 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
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 2026 production profile sits closest to Hayes Maples’s 2023 season.
Matches Hayes on
Tackle volume
Solo tackle rate
PD rate
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Liona Lefau's senior season at Colorado (2026).
Matches Liona on
Class year
Weight
Solo tackle rate
Differs from Liona on
Hurry rate (higher)
Background
CAREER Enrolled at Central Michigan in June 2026 … Played the last three years and 28 games at Weber State University, where he accumulated 148 tackles (61 solo), 8.0 tackles for loss for 12 yards, three pass breakups and one blocked kick … All-Big Sky pick as a senior in 2025. 2025 AT WEBER…
The linebacker corps · Central Michigan
- #11Xavier White26 tackles · 2025
- #8Victor Earl15 tackles · 2025
- #10Jeremiah Alston-Jackson1 tackle · 2025
- #35Mayson Hitchens3 games · 2026
- #40Brett McCalla3 games · 2026
5 more on the roster · Central Michigan team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology