Youngstown State · W 45-13 · FCS
No tackles.
Alabama · L 17-45
No tackles.
Vanderbilt · W 34-17
2 tackles, 1 for loss
The other 5 games average 5 tackles. This one was 3 below.
Nichols has tackles in 6 of Kentucky’s 8 games: none against Youngstown State and Alabama.
Terhyon Nichols
Played for two head coaches in three seasons at Kentucky. One game to point at: 8 tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss against South Carolina — Week 5, 2026.
26 tackles · 0 sacks
Play style
Erases the deep middle of the field.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
No outlet on our list has written about this player by name this season.
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Last game (Wk 8): 2 tackles, 1 tackle for loss.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 6 games
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| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 3 | W 31-21@ No. 9 Texas A&M | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 4 | W 45-21vs South Alabama | 3 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | W 35-34@ South Carolina | 8 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 2 | Season-high 8 tackles |
| Wk 6 | W 35-34vs No. 10 LSU | 7 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 7 | W 21-13@ Oklahoma | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | W 34-17vs Vanderbilt | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 26 | 13 | 1.5 | 0.0 | — | 4 |
Oct. 24 · W 34-17 vs Vanderbilt, play by play
2 tackles, including 1 more for loss.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
His game this year: coverage — 4 passes defended in the 6 games with play by play.
How Kentucky’s defense played that day
Vanderbilt’s 8 drives: 5 stopped (2 takeaways) · 3 scored. While the game was within a score they held 3 of 5.
4 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 3 of his 4, sacks included.
7 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
8 tackles, including 2 passes broken up, tied for 2nd-most passes broken up in FBS that week.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 9 for him; the box score credits 8.
3 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
2 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Week 5 · 2026
W 35-34
0.5 tackles for loss · 8 tackles · 2 pass breakups
Edged out South Carolina on the road in a shootout.
Ratings of the games shown run from -12 to +25 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
PD rate
15%4 pass breakupsTackle volume
26tackles this seasonTFL rate
6%2 TFL26 tackles · 1.5 for loss · 4 pass breakups.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home3g | 4.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.3 |
| Road3g | 4.7 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 1.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-75g | 4.8 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.8 |
| Weeks 8+1g | 2.0 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Will Stein
Pass share
46.1%
233 pass / 272 run
Plays / game
63.1
8 games
Team sack rate
6.2%
257 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS defensive back who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Former four-star. Now #214 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
Coaching lineage · 2024–2026
2 coachesCoaching transition mid-career: Mark Stoops → Will Stein. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
