#27

Walter Yates

Senior linebacker for UCF. 2023: 68 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss.

LB · UCF · Sr. · #27

6′1″ · 219 lb · Gulf Breeze, FL

CFB Index 38 · #392 of 577 LBsHigh confidenceUCF 2023 alumnus

The story

4 linebacker for UCF. 2023: 68 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss.

The record fills in as he plays.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Two seasons at UCF, 111 tackles — his college career is complete.

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

UCF

2022–2023

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

2023 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2 seasons under Gus Malzahn — 15-12 over that span.

2022UCF9-5HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2023UCF6-7HC: Gus Malzahn · Run-leaning

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

38Below cohort / limited sample #392 of 577?

High confidence6 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (92nd percentile). Strength: tackles (91st percentile). Concern: tackles for loss (18th percentile).

Box-score production (6)

Solo tackles#206 / 2842 · 92nd pct

Tackles#246 / 2842 · 91st pct

Passes defended#744 / 2842 · 67th pct

QB hurries#1486 / 2842 · 24th pct

Sacks#1503 / 2842 · 24th pct

0.0

Tackles for loss#2235 / 2842 · 18th pct

0.5

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

2023 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home6g	5.2	0.0	0.0	0.0
Road4g	9.2	0.1	0.0	0.5

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-74g	4.0	0.0	0.0	0.0
Weeks 8+6g	8.7	0.1	0.0	0.3

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Scott Frost

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2023

Part-time starter

Tackle volume for the position in part-time-starter range.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

38 · #392 of 577 LBs

Career stats

Season	Team
2023	UCF	68	41	0.5	0.0	2	--	--
2022	UCF	43	26	5.0	1.5	--	--	--
Career		111	67	5.5	1.5	2	--	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 3 · 2023

W 48–14

vs Villanova

3 TOT · 1 SOLO

Dominant 34-point win at home against Villanova.

With T. McClain — 321 yds · 2 TD · 0 INT · QBR 67.7 · 44 rush yds (9 car) · M. McCarthy — 48 AVG · 1 IN 20 · 52 LONG

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2023 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	INT	PD	Note
Wk 3	W 48-14vs Villanova	3	1	0.0	—	0
Wk 4	L 31-44@ Kansas State	5	4	0.0	—	0
Wk 5	L 35-36vs Baylor	5	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	L 29-31@ Oklahoma	10	4	0.5	—	1
Wk 9	L 28-41vs West Virginia	6	3	0.0	—	0
Wk 10	W 28-26@ Cincinnati	13	9	0.0	—	1	Season-high 13 tackles
Wk 11	W 45-3vs Oklahoma State	2	2	0.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 23-24@ Texas Tech	9	9	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	W 27-13vs Houston	12	5	0.0	—	0
Bowl	L 17-30vs Georgia Tech	3	2	0.0	—	0
Total		68	41	0.5	—	2

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Walter Yates

2023 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

Part-time starter

Career stats

Signature game

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Sideline-to-Sideline

Players who play like Walter Yates