Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-14vs Miami (OH) | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 2 | W 12-7vs UCF | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 2 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Total | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 3 |
#5
Zach Crothers
Junior defensive lineman on Pittsburgh's 2026 roster.
6′4″ · 265 lb · Weston, FL · Chaminade-Madonna Prep
Returning to Pittsburgh for 2026
The numbers
0
sacks · 2026
3 tackles
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, vs UCF
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 defensive lineman on Pittsburgh's 2026 roster.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Pittsburgh in 2024.
Zach Crothers
Wins his gap play after play. Second year in the Pittsburgh defensive front, same address the whole way. One game to point at: 2 tackles against UCF — Week 2, 2026.
3 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- seasons on the roster
- game log
His career
2024
- Signed with Pittsburgh3-star out of Chaminade-Madonna
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Pittsburgh
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Pat Narduzzi, all balanced offenses — 10-5 over that span.
2025Pittsburgh8-5HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
2026Pittsburgh2-0HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: passes defended (99th 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 splits
Through 2 games: 1.5 TKL/g, 0.0 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 1.5 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 3 | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Pittsburgh | 15 | 4 | 3.0 | 1.5 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 18 | 7 | 3.0 | 1.5 | 3 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 12–7
vs UCF
2 TOT · 2 SOLO · 2 PD
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
With G. Russo — 40 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 51 LONG · M. Heintschel — 212 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.1 · 13 rush yds (7 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Pittsburgh
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Defensive line · Pittsburgh
Returning around him
- 1 Pittsburgh player drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -5 net (16 in / 21 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Pittsburgh · Last season: 8-5 (AP #24) · Talent rank #64 · 2026 recruiting class #44
DNA match
Player DNA
Two-Gap Base
Stout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number.
IDL
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Kyle King’s 2022 season.
Matches Kyle on
Sack rate
TFL rate
Class year
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Kameryn Fountain's freshman season at USC (2024).
Matches Kameryn on
Weight
Hurry rate
TFL rate
Differs from Kameryn on
Class year (lower)
Player DNA
Players who play like Zach Crothers
Background
2025: Appeared in four games before sustaining a season-ending injury against Louisville…totaled 15 tackles, three tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks…had a breakout game with career highs in tackles (7), TFLs (2.0) and sacks (1.5) vs. Central Michigan…logged the first sack of his career in the second...
The defensive line · Pittsburgh
- #44Jimmy Scott7.5 tackles for loss · 2025
- #2Isaiah Neal7 tackles for loss · 2025
- #11Nick James6 tackles for loss · 2025
- #55Sean FitzSimmons3 tackles for loss · 2025
- #5Zach Crothers3 tackles for loss · 2025
14 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology