6′3″ · 241 lb · Baxter, MN · Brainerd
He has tackles in 5 of Michigan’s 6 games: none against UTEP.
5 stories in the last 60 days, from 5 outlets.
Nathaniel Staehling
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. One game to point at: 9 tackles against Western Michigan — Week 1, 2026.
34 tackles · 0 sacks
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Michigan | 34 | 15 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 |
| Career | 34 | 15 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 |
Last game (Wk 7): 8 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 5 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 13-12vs Western Michigan | 9 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 17-10vs No. 11 Oklahoma | 7 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 19-20vs No. 17 Iowa | 3 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 14-20@ Minnesota | 6 | 4 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 21-18vs Penn State | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 34 | 15 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 |
Oct. 17 · W 21-18 vs Penn State, play by play
9 tackles.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 2 tackles for loss, in the 5 games with play by play.
How Michigan’s defense played that day
Penn State’s 11 drives: 8 stopped (3 takeaways) · 3 scored. While the game was within a score they held 8 of 9.
A defensive touchdown: his interception went 79 yards for the score. 6 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Intercepted, returned 79 yards for the score. Second quarter, made it 14-7.
3 tackles.
7 tackles.
9 tackles.
Ratings of the games shown run from -2 to +14 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
34tackles this seasonTFL rate
7%2 TFLSack rate
0%0 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups34 tackles · 2.5 for loss · 1 interception.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 5 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 7.0 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 6.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 6.8 | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kyle Whittingham
Pass share
38.9%
133 pass / 209 run
Plays / game
57.0
6 games
Team sack rate
6.0%
149 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-heavy, slow tempo.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS linebacker who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Unranked recruit. Now #254 at the position.
from 5 outlets
'Gritty' transfer Nathaniel Staehling confident he can hold own as Michigan LB
Yahoo Sports Aug 28 · 1 outlet
from 7 outlets
LB Nathaniel Staehling’s path to Michigan Football, outlook for 2026
Maize n Brew +1 Aug 24 · 2 outlets
Maize n Brew +1LB Nathaniel Staehling’s path to Michigan Football, outlook for 2026Aug 24
247SportsBehind the Uniform with Nathaniel Staehling: The Michigan newcomer players are buzzing aboutAug 20
On3From FCS captain to Michigan linebacker, Nathaniel Staehling never doubted the leapAug 27
The Michigan DailyMaize n Brew +1247SportsEach week: his team’s game, the stories about him that week, and the week’s biggest news headline.
Stories are headlines grouped by what they are about, counted through Oct 23.
His career
