Historical Background for '26 Griz Defense

[alabamagrizzly]

Tried to gather some historical background on all the defensive players including the new transfers. I broke them down by positions. At the top of each position group i included a stat total for all departing players and a stat percentage of what is returning. For instance, the DL that are returning were responsible for 37% of the tackles last year.

For each individual I included last years stats, a career total by division, previous teams played for, and recruit rankings if i could find them.

Defensive Line
Graduated/transferred stats
116tk 21tfl 11.5sk 3ff

Returning %'s of stats
37%tk 37%tfl 32%sk 100%int 0%ff

Defensive Tackles
Hayden Hanks RSo+1 6'3" 300
'25 Boise St 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
FBS/Boise St 0g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* MT #2

Braydon Bailey RSr 6’2” 280
'25 15g 10tk(25th) 1.5tfl
D1 Career 15g 10tk 1.5tfl
JC Career 16g 33tk 11.5tfl 3sk

Previous schools
FBS/Utah 0g
JC/Golden West 16g

Recruit rankings
3* JC CA #24
HS 0* HI #na

Zekiel Seumalo Sr 6'0" 265
'25 15g 5tk 1tfl 0.5sk
D1 Career 15g 5tk 1tfl 0.5sk
JC Career 19g 56tk 13tfl 8sk

Previous schools
JC/Allan Hancock 19g

Recruit rankings
HS 2* WA #105

Defensive Ends
Hayden Schwartz RSr+1 6'4" 248
'25 14g 27tk(15th) 4.5tfl(7th) 3sk(4th) 1int
D1 Career 16g 27tk 4.5tfl 3sk 1int

Previous schools
FBS/Minnesota 2g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* FL #95 Nat #677

Jake Mason RJr 6’2” 250
'25 15g 26tk(t16th) 5.5tfl (5th) 2sk(6th)
D1 Career 28g 34tk 5.5tfl 2sk

Previous schools
FBS/Washington 0g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #49

Tyler King RJr 6'5" 250
'25 Cent Wash 47tk 17tfl 13sk 2ff
D2 Career 24g 69tk 21tfl 15.5sk 2ff

Previous schools
D2/Central Washington 24g

Recruit rankings
HS 2* OR #25

Isaac Keim RSo 6’4” 265
'25 14g
D1 Career 14g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* MT #12

Giovanni Pifferini RJr 6’4” 230
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g
JC Career 17g 45tk 11.5tfl 5sk

Previous schools
JC/Fresno City 17g

Recruit rankings
HS 0* CA #na

Cole Muilenburg RSo 6'5" 246
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* WA #147

Cooper Cyphus Fr 6'1" 230
'25 High school
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS na* TX #na

Mac Olsen Fr 6'4" 245
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* UT #33

Evan Pyron Fr 6'3" 225
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* MT #5

Cooper Buffington RFr 6’4” 252
0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* IA #na

Logan Knaevelsrude RFr 6’4” 235
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* WA #70

Cole Harpole RFr 6'3" 221
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS na* TX #na

Derek Opitz Fr 6'3" 250
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* MT #na

Elijah Rincon Fr 6'3" 230
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS na* CA #na

Spencer Tripp RFr 5'11" 264
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* MT #na


Linebackers
Graduated/transferred stats
215tk 19tfl 5sk 2int 3ff

Returning %'s of stats
40%tk 38%tfl 52%sk 69%int 25%ff

Peyton Wing RSr 6'0" 229
'25 15g 78tk(2nd) 8.5tfl(2nd) 3.5sk(3rd) 1ff 4int(1st)
D1 Career 38g 191tk 18tfl 4.5sk 1ff 4int

Previous schools
FCS/Portland St 23g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #35

Clay Oven RJr 6’2” 216
'25 15g 49tk(7th) 2tfl 2sk(6th)
D1 Career 28g 51tk 2tfl 2sk

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* MT #4

Tanner Williams RSo 6'2" 215
'25 San Diego St 4g 6tk
D1 Career 8g 7tk

Previous schools
FBS/San Diego St 4g
FBS/Utah St 4g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* CA #86

Nai Mose RSr 5'11" 227
'25 Georgetown 12g 63tk(2nd) 6tfl(4th) 1sk 1int 1ff 2fr
D1 Career 35g 94tk 9tfl 1s 1int 1ff 2fr

Previous schools
FCS/Georgetown 35g

Recruit rankings
HS na* TX #na

Justin Eklund RSr 6'3" 235*
'25 Bowling Green 7g 7tk 0.5tfl 1fr
D1 Career 25g 23tk 0.5tfl 1fr

Previous schools
FBS/Bowling Green 19g
FBS/San Jose St 6g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* CA #121

Cy Stephenson RJr 6’2” 220
'25 12g 11tk(t21st) 1tfl 1int
D1 Career 25g 13tk 1tfl 1int

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* MT #5

Hayden Opitz RJr 6’2” 230
'25 12g 3tk
D1 Career 25g 5tk

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* MT #na

Grady Walker RSo 6’4” 224
'25 10g 2tk
D1 Career 10g 2tk

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* MT #6

Colten Lentz RFr 6’3” 213
'25 6g 3tk
D1 Career 6g 3tk

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #25

Styles Goodman So 6’2” 234
'25 5g
D1 Career 5g

Previous schools
FBS/Air Force Prep

Recruit rankings
HS 2* TX #na

Caleb Moran RSo 6’1” 210
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
FBS/Army 0g

Recruit rankings
HS 2* GA #na

Bridger Salvevold RFr 6’2” 207
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* MT #9

Taylor Jones RFr 6'1" 205
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* MT #na

Sam Merriman RFr 6'0" 225
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* WA #na

Cooper Neer Fr 6'3" 205
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* WA #na


Cornerback
Graduated/transferred stats
114tk 5.5tfl 1sk 3int 20bu 1fr

Returning %'s of stats
3%tk 0%tfl 0%sk 25t%int 0%bu 0%fr

Chris Johnson RSo 6'1" 200
'25 Arizona St 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
FBS/Arizona St 0g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* TX #90 Nat CB #45

Gabe Stroud RSo 5'11" 190
'25 North Texas 6g 3tk
D1 Career 10g 8tk

Previous schools
FBS/North Texas 10g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* TX #199 Nat #1756

Elijah Brady RJr 6’1” 172
'25 7g 4tk
D1 Career 8g 4tk

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #50

DeAnte Gentry RFr 5’11” 169
'25 1g 1int
D1 Career 1g 1int

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS na* TX #na

Jayden Nicholas Fr 6'0" 170
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* CA #282

Sage Salopek RFr 6’0” 168
'25 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #59

Rodney Weatherspoon Fr 6'0" 175
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* TX #na

Garrett Speer RSo 6’0” 191
'25 2g
D1 Career 2g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* OR #49


Safety
Graduated/transferred Stats
230tk 6.5tfl 3.0sk 6int 10bu 4fr 1ff

Returning %'s of stats
25%tk 13%tfl 14%sk 25%int 23%bu 0%ff 20%fr

Braeden Orlandi RJr 6'1" 205
'25 Carroll 12g 136tk(1st) 6.5tfl 0.5sk 2int 5bu 1ff
D1 Career 0g
NAIA Career 22g 213tk 9.5tfl 0.5sk 4int 13bu 1ff 1fr

Previous schools
NAIA/Carroll 22g

Recruit rankings
JC 3* Nat #583
HS 2* CA #485

Brady Beaner So 6’0” 187
'25 9g 11tk(t21st) 1bu
D1 Career 9g 11tk 1bu

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #14

Kade Boyd RJr 6’0” 197
'25 15g 33tk(12th) 2int 2bu 1fr
D1 Career 18g 36tk 2int 2bu 1fr

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 2* MT #14

Hunter Haines RSo 6'0" 210
'25 San Diego St 0g
D1 Career 4g 1tk

Previous schools
FBS/San Diego St 0g
FBS/Washington St 4g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* OR #9 Nat #1323

Kade Cutler RSr 6’0” 200
'25 12g 21tk(20th) 0.5tfl 0.5sk
D1 Career 26g 22tk 0.5tfl 0.5sk

Previous schools
FCS/Montana St 3g

Recruit rankings
HS 0* MT #na

Jeilani Davis RSo 6'0" 204
'25 12g 4tk
D1 Career 12g 4tk

Previous schools
FBS/Utah 0g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* CA #69

Adama Fall RJr 6'3" 210
'25 Arizona St 3g 0tk
Career 25g 1tk

Previous schools
FBS/Arizona St 25g

Recruit rankings
FBS 3* Transfer
HS na* CA #na

Brock Beaner RFr 6’0” 193
'25 7g 8tk 0.5tfl
D1 Career 7g 8tk 0.5tfl

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #11

Kash Goicoechea RSo 6’1” 197
'25 1g
D1 Career 1g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* MT#6

Dane Parker RSo 6’1” 175
'25 1g
D1 Career 1g

Previous schools
FBS/Air Force Prep

Recruit rankings
HS 3* WA #32

Fynn Ridgeway RJr 6’1” 204
'25 5g 1tk
D1 Career 5g 1tk
D2 Career 12g 233ryrd 247reyrd 5totTD

Previous schools
D2/Minn St Moorhead 12g(RB)

Recruit rankings
HS 0* MT #na

Dane Kellner Fr 5'11" 170
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 3* HI #25

Kougar Kappel Fr 6'1" 180
'25 High School
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS 0* MT #na

 

[AZGrizFan]

Wow.

Nice work.

Might want to add Solo back into the mix...

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Wow.

Nice work.

Might want to add Solo back into the mix...

Is it definitely him or Deitrich? Both have a case.

 

[BillingsMafia]

you need to get paid for that

 

[Jordan_20]

Is it definitely him or Deitrich? Both have a case.

Could be Peck as well, but more unlikely

 

[alabamagrizzly]

you need to get paid for that

My dream job would be the University's stat keeper. Id absolutely love to have complete access to all historical sports records at the U and correct all the errors in the record books.

 

[UncleRico]

Excellent work! Very interesting

 

[RobGriz]

My dream job would be the University's stat keeper. Id absolutely love to have complete access to all historical sports records at the U and correct all the errors in the record books.

That’s my cousins job and I doubt he wants to give it up LOL

 

[alabamagrizzly]

That’s my cousins job and I doubt he wants to give it up LOL

When is he retiring and why the fuck are the record books in the state they're in then.

 

[GriznMN]

Great job 'bamagriz! Can you add Cooper Cyphers to the DL?

 

[RobGriz]

When is he retiring and why the fuck are the record books in the state they're in then.

He just keeps the stats. He isn’t responsible for how things get put in the books

 

[AZGrizFan]

When is he retiring and why the fuck are the record books in the state they're in then.

Bama, given your background that we know now, I propose you change your handle to CoolHandGriz…

 

[alabamagrizzly]

He just keeps the stats. He isn’t responsible for how things get put in the books

Well when he retires, ill put me my app in.

 

[alabamagrizzly]

Updated with Chris Johnson and Cooper Cyphus since all indications say hes still committed here. Still waiting to see who the surprise returnee is.

DE
Cooper Cyphus Fr 6'1" 230
'25 High school
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
na

Recruit rankings
HS na* TX #na

CB
Chris Johnson RSo 6'1" 200
'25 Arizona St 0g
D1 Career 0g

Previous schools
FBS/Arizona St 0g

Recruit rankings
HS 3* TX #90 Nat CB #45