Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 0-57@ South Carolina | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 6 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 36-15vs Wofford | 3 | 2 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 9 | 5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#15
Sayed Abuhamdeh
Junior linebacker for Kent State. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 230 lb · North Royalton, OH · North Royalton HS
CFB Index 31 · #453 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Kent State for 2026
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
9
tackles · 2026
0.5 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 6 tackles, at South Carolina
His career numbers, season by seasonSayed Abuhamdeh
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Three seasons at Kent State, two different head coaches: Kenni Burns and Mark Carney. The receipt: 6 tackles against South Carolina — Week 1, 2026.
9 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
Kent State
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023
Kenni Burns
Kent State
2025–2026era →
Mark Carney
Kent State
Coaching transition mid-career: Kenni Burns → Mark Carney. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Kent State1-11HC: Kenni Burns · Run-leaning
2025Kent State5-7HC: Mark Carney · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Kent State1-1HC: Mark Carney · Run-leaning, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Concern: tackles (0th percentile).
Box-score production (6)
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 splits
Through 2 games: 4.5 TKL/g, 0.2 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Mark Carney
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
31 · #453 of 583 LBs
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-MAC
Based on 2025: #39 of 55 Mid-American LBs
How the All-MAC 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.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Kent State | 9 | 5 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Kent State | 39 | 24 | 2.0 | 0.5 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Kent State | 16 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 64 | 35 | 3.5 | 1.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 36–15
vs Wofford
3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 0 TFL
Dominant 21-point win at home against Wofford.
With D. DeShields — 248 yds · 1 TD · 2 INT · QBR 67.4 · 74 rush yds (10 car) · 2 TD · D. Clark — 5 rec · 90 yds
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Kent State
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Kent State
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -4 net (11 in / 15 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Kent State · Last season: 5-7 · Talent rank #130 · 2026 recruiting class #122
DNA match
Player DNA
Coverage 'Backer
Carries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Simeon Coleman’s 2025 season.
Matches Simeon on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
Sack rate
Differs from Simeon on
PD rate (higher)
Height (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Simeon Coleman's sophomore season at Cincinnati (2025).
86%match
Matches Simeon on
TFL rate
Solo tackle rate
Sack rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Sayed Abuhamdeh
Background
2025 (R-Sophomore) Appeared in all 12 games for the Golden Flashes in 2025 Recorded 38 total tackles (23 unassisted, 15 assisted) Posted 2.0 tackles for loss totaling 5 yards Had half a sack for 4 yards against Ball State Registered 2 quarterback hurries on the season Career-high 10 tackles came...
The linebacker corps · Kent State
- #15Sayed Abuhamdeh39 tackles · 2025
- #32Trey Rubinstein13 tackles · 2025
- #4Rocco Nicholl7 tackles · 2025
- #17Semaj Bridgeman6 tackles · 2025
- #28Brodyn Bishop5 tackles · 2025
7 more on the roster · Kent State team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology