← the board · drewhoover.com · 2024–2026
Middle Tennessee's best defenders since 2024
Korey Smith leads with 100 tackles in 19 games at Middle Tennessee; Shakai Woods had 92.
Every defender with 5 or more games at Middle Tennessee since 2024, ranked by tackles; the lines are each player's tackles game by game, the top 8 drawn. A link opens the player's page, where he has one, or his row on the board.
82 defenders with 5+ games at Middle Tennesseetackles
| # | player | seasons | games | tackles | sacks | tackles for loss | interceptions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Korey Smith | 2024–2026 | 19 | 100 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 2 | Shakai Woods | 2024–2025 | 22 | 92 | 3.5 | 12 | 0 |
| 3 | Xavier Williams | 2024 | 10 | 75 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| 4 | Jackson Lowe | 2024–2026 | 18 | 73 | 1 | 4 | 1 |
| 5 | John Howse IV | 2024–2025 | 16 | 64 | 2 | 5 | 2 |
| 6 | Brendon Harris | 2024–2025 | 14 | 61 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| 7 | Muaaz Byard | 2024–2025 | 18 | 59 | 0.5 | 8 | 1 |
| 8 | Kalen Woods | 2025–2026 | 15 | 58 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 9 | Reggie Johnson | 2025–2026 | 15 | 47 | 3.5 | 12 | 0 |
| 10 | Zeion Simpson-Smith | 2025–2026 | 18 | 45 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 11 | Abdul Muhammad | 2024–2025 | 19 | 44 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | Ashton Taylor | 2026 | 6 | 40 | 1.5 | 3 | 0 |
| 13 | Juwon Gaston | 2025 | 9 | 38 | 0.5 | 3 | 3 |
| 14 | Jordan Thompson | 2024 | 9 | 37 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
| 15 | Rickey Smith | 2024–2025 | 15 | 31 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 16 | Christofer Noble | 2025–2026 | 8 | 31 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 17 | Felix Hixon | 2024–2026 | 20 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Bryce Williams | 2026 | 6 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 19 | Aidan Butts | 2024–2026 | 15 | 24 | 2 | 3 | 0 |
| 20 | Jared Douglas | 2024 | 7 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Amarrien Bailey | 2024 | 8 | 22 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 22 | James Johnson | 2026 | 6 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
| 23 | Jayson Lowe | 2024–2026 | 7 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | Jaiyden Thompson | 2025–2026 | 6 | 17 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Kaven Call | 2026 | 6 | 17 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 26 | Mathias Malaki-Donaldson | 2025–2026 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| 27 | Jason Hardy | 2026 | 5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 28 | Devan Carlisle | 2025–2026 | 8 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 29 | James Gillespie | 2024 | 6 | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 30 | Alex Williams | 2024 | 5 | 8 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 31 | Camari Hall | 2025–2026 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 32 | Jordan Chestnut | 2025–2026 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 33 | Andy Nwaoko | 2024 | 5 | 6 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 |
| 34 | Parker Hughes | 2023–2025 | 26 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 35 | Anthony Bynum | 2023–2025 | 25 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 36 | Brandon Buckner | 2023–2025 | 25 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 37 | Damonte Smith | 2022–2025 | 23 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 38 | Tavares Thomas | 2017–2018 | 20 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 39 | De'Arre McDonald | 2023–2025 | 19 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 40 | Jalen Davis | 2020–2024 | 19 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 41 | Kevin Byard | 2012–2015 | 19 | — | — | — | 19 |
| 42 | Reed Blankenship | 2017–2021 | 19 | — | — | — | 9 |
| 43 | Marvae Myers | 2020–2024 | 16 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 44 | Decorian Patterson | 2019–2022 | 15 | — | — | — | 9 |
| 45 | Gregory Grate | 2018–2021 | 15 | — | — | — | 8 |
| 46 | James Stewart | 2023–2024 | 14 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 47 | Jared Singletary | 2012–2015 | 14 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 48 | Jordan Branch | 2019–2023 | 13 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 49 | Jordan Ferguson | 2017–2022 | 13 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 50 | Teldrick Ross | 2021–2023 | 13 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 51 | Travion Fluellen | 2021–2023 | 13 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 52 | Zaylin Wood | 2020–2023 | 13 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 53 | Tyrell Raby | 2023–2024 | 12 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 54 | Darius Bracy | 2022 | 11 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 55 | Marley Cook | 2021–2023 | 11 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 56 | Quincy Riley | 2020–2021 | 11 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 57 | Chris Johnson | 2023–2024 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 58 | Devyn Curtis | 2021–2024 | 10 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 59 | DQ Thomas | 2018–2021 | 9 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 60 | Johnathan Butler | 2020–2023 | 9 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 61 | Jakobe Thomas | 2022–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 62 | Jalen Jackson | 2020–2024 | 8 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 63 | Raquon Hartley | 2021–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 64 | Richard Kinley | 2020–2023 | 8 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 65 | Deonte Stanley | 2021–2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 2 |
| 66 | Drew Francis | 2022–2024 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 67 | Jovante Moffatt | 2016–2019 | 7 | — | — | — | 5 |
| 68 | Quindarius Dunnigan | 2020–2023 | 7 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 69 | T.T. Barber | 2012–2015 | 7 | — | — | — | 7 |
| 70 | Wesley Bush | 2018 | 7 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 71 | D.J. Sanders | 2014–2017 | 6 | — | — | — | 4 |
| 72 | Darius Harris | 2015–2018 | 6 | — | — | — | 1 |
| 73 | DQ Thomas | 2018–2021 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 74 | James Shellman IV | 2020–2024 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 75 | Jeremy Cutrer | 2015–2016 | 6 | — | — | — | 6 |
| 76 | Jorden Starling | 2020–2023 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 77 | Ralph Mency | 2021–2022 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 78 | Tyshawn Brown | 2016–2017 | 6 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 79 | Cody Smith | 2018–2021 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 80 | Ja'Kerrius Wyatt | 2021–2022 | 5 | — | — | — | 0 |
| 81 | Michael Minter | 2015–2016 | 5 | — | — | — | 3 |
| 82 | Tyshun Render | 2016–2019 | 5 | — | — | — | 1 |
Also at Middle Tennessee: quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, punters. Every school and conference: schools, conferences. The games are ESPN's box scores since 2004 (the Method says where they fall short); a position is the roster's, else read off the box score, so a tight end from before 2014 may be listed with the wide receivers.