Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 3 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 38-41@ Ole Miss | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 59-13vs Villanova | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 41-31vs SMU | 2 | 0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 6 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.5 | — | 0 |
#3
Tyler Thompson
Junior defensive lineman for Louisville. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
6′5″ · 245 lb · Cary, NC · Panther Creek
CFB Index 74 · #98 of 583 LBsLow confidenceTransferred North Carolina → Louisville 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
1.5
sacks · 2026 · through week 3
3 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 1 sacks, 1 TFL, 1 tackles, vs Villanova
Statement game3 tackles · 3 TFL · 3 sacksvs Stanford (FBS) · W 20-15
Top 1% tackles for loss game since 2021.
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
Junior defensive lineman for Louisville. 2026: 3 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to North Carolina in 2023.
- Transferred from North Carolina to Louisville in 2026.
Tyler Thompson
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. Four head coaches in four seasons, at two different programs. One game to point at: 3 tackles against Ole Miss — Week 1, 2026.
6 TACKLES · 1.5 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20233 games
- Signed with North Carolina4-star out of Panther Creek
20263 games
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Louisville
Played his entire career under Jeff Brohm.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Louisville
2025North Carolina
2026Louisville
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Louisville | 6 | 3 | 1.5 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | North Carolina | 26 | 17 | 7.5 | 7.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2024 | North Carolina | 5 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2023 | North Carolina | 3 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 40 | 27 | 10.0 | 8.5 | 1 | -- | -- |
Game log
Game by game
Tyler Thompson'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 3 · 2026
W 41–31
vs SMU
0.5 sacks · 0.5 tackles for loss · 2 tackles
Edged out SMU at home in a shootout.
With L. Kienholz — 177 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 64.8 · 42 rush yds (12 car) · 1 TD · N. Hayes — 37.2 yards per punt · 6 punts · 1 inside the 20
2026 snapshot
Since week 2: +0.5 sacks, +0.5 tackles for loss, +2 tackles.
Season context · Team result + system
2023North Carolina8-5HC: Mack Brown · Balanced
2024North Carolina6-7HC: Freddie Kitchens · Run-leaning
2025North Carolina4-8HC: Bill Belichick · Balanced, slow tempo
2026Louisville2-1HC: Jeff Brohm · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: sacks (93rd percentile). 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
2026 season · 3 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home2g | 1.5 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Road1g | 3.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-73g | 2.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Jeff Brohm
Pass share
42.0%
79 pass / 109 run
Plays / game
62.7
3 games
Team sack rate
4.4%
90 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Run-leaning.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Rotational
Tackle volume for the position in rotation-piece range.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
74 · #98 of 583 LBs
Former four-star. Now #98 at the position.
How he plays
Play style
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Sideline-to-Sideline
Ranges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Donterry Russell’s 2025 season.
64%match
Matches Donterry on
Tackle volume
Differs from Donterry on
Class year (lower)
Sack rate (higher)
Solo tackle rate (higher)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Jordan Norman's junior season at Tulane (2025).
70%match
Matches Jordan on
Hurry rate
PD rate
Differs from Jordan on
Sack rate (higher)
Solo tackle rate (higher)
Weight (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Tyler Thompson
Background
2025 (North Carolina): Breakout season in 2025, finishing eighth in the Atlantic Coast Conference with 7.0 sacks and recording 7.5 tackles for loss ... ended the year with 25 total tackles ... tallied a pair of sacks in a loss to California ... recorded a a career high 3.0 sacks versus Stanford ....
The defensive line · Louisville
- #50Clev Lubin13 tackles for loss · 2025
- #3Tyler Thompson7.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #17Adonijah Green6 tackles for loss · 2025
- #99Jerod Smith II5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #2Demeco Kennedy3 tackles for loss · 2025
12 more on the roster · Louisville team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology