Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 24-10vs Washington State | 2 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 2 tackles |
| Wk 2 | W 16-14vs Utah State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#23
Zaydrius Rainey-Sale
Sophomore linebacker for Washington. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 216 lb · Tacoma, WA · Bethel HS
CFB Index 41 · #371 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Washington 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
3
tackles · 2026
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 2 tackles, vs Washington State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 linebacker for Washington. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 4-star recruit to Washington in 2025.
Zaydrius Rainey-Sale
Carries tight ends down the field in coverage. Second year in the Washington linebacker corps, same address the whole way. One game to point at: 2 tackles against Washington State — Week 1, 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
20258 games
- Signed with Washington4-star out of Bethel
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★★
CFB
College
Washington
NFL
NFL Draft
—
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2 seasons under Jedd Fisch — 11-4 over that span.
2025Washington9-4HC: Jedd Fisch · Run-leaning
2026Washington2-0HC: Jedd Fisch · Pass-leaning
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: 1.5 TKL/g, 0.0 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
Jedd Fisch
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
41 · #371 of 583 LBs
Former four-star. Now #371 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big Ten
Based on 2025: #47 of 72 Big Ten LBs
How the All-Big Ten 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 | Washington | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Washington | 21 | 13 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| Career | 24 | 15 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 2 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 24–10
2 TOT · 2 SOLO
With D. Williams Jr. — 268 yds · 1 TD · 0 INT · QBR 66.7 · 61 rush yds (7 car) · 1 TD · H. Green — 50 AVG · 2 IN 20 · 64 LONG
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
Washington
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Washington
Returning around him
- 7 Washington players drafted to NFL
- Transfer portal: -9 net (14 in / 23 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Washington · Last season: 9-4 (AP #24) · Talent rank #24 · 2026 recruiting class #13
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 Carmycah Glass’s 2025 season.
Matches Carmycah on
Solo tackle rate
Weight
PD rate
Differs from Carmycah on
Class year (lower)
Height (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a freshman, his production profile tracks closest to Charles Correa's freshman season at UNLV (2024).
69%match
Matches Charles on
Tackle volume
PD rate
TFL rate
Differs from Charles on
Class year (lower)
Sack rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Zaydrius Rainey-Sale
Background
AT WASHINGTON 2025: Enrolled at Washington in January, 2025, for the start of the winter academic quarter ... played in eight games, starting one ... after missing the first five games of the season while recovering from an injury suffered as a high-school senior, saw his first Husky action in th...
The linebacker corps · Washington
- #10Xe'Ree Alexander70 tackles · 2025
- #9Jacob Manu23 tackles · 2025
- #23Zaydrius Rainey-Sale21 tackles · 2025
- Taariq Al-Uqdah15 tackles · 2025
- #25Donovan Robinson Jr.no box-score line yet
2 more on the roster · Washington team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology