Arizona · W 28-17
No tackles.
TCU · W 17-10
No tackles.
Arizona State · W 27-20
3 tackles, 1 for loss, 1 sack
The other 5 games average 1 tackles. This one was 2 above.
Kaufusi has tackles in 6 of BYU’s 8 games: none against Arizona and TCU.
Ace Kaufusi
Fourth year in the same linebacker corps at BYU. A game that shows it: 3 tackles and 1 sack against Arizona State — Week 9, 2026.
9 tackles · 2 sacks
Play style
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Last game (Wk 9): 3 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 6 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 63-7vs Utah Tech | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 1 | |
| Wk 3 | W 41-23@ Colorado State | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 6 | W 24-10vs Iowa State | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | W 28-24vs No. 2 Notre Dame | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 31-39@ UCF | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | W 27-20vs Arizona State | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 1 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 9 | 5 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 2 |
Oct. 31 · W 27-20 vs Arizona State, play by play
3 tackles, including 1 sack, 1 pass broken up.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 2 tackles for loss, 2 of them sacks, in the 6 games with play by play.
How BYU’s defense played that day
Arizona State’s 11 drives: 7 stopped (1 takeaway) · 4 scored. While the game was within a score they held 5 of 7. His pbu came with BYU up 7.
2 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
2 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
1 tackle, including 1 sack.
Sacked the quarterback for a 2-yard loss. Fourth quarter, up 21-10.
1 tackle. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
0 tackles, including 1 pass broken up.
Week 9 · 2026
W 27-20
1 sack · 1 tackle for loss · 3 tackles
A close one, won by 7 at home.
Ratings of the games shown run from -8 to +25 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
4 seasons under Kalani Sitake — 35-12 over that span.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 6 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home4g | 1.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Road2g | 1.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-74g | 1.0 | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 2.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.5 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Kalani Sitake
Pass share
47.3%
248 pass / 276 run
Plays / game
65.5
8 games
Team sack rate
2.6%
230 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Balanced.
Player standing · 2026
Fewer tackles a game than most FBS linebackers who play every week.
Recognition
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Big 12
Based on 2025: #70 of 73 Big 12 LBs
A base rate for the rank, not a forecast of this player: 15% of returning players who ranked #21 or lower at their position in their conference made an all-conference team the next season (95% confidence interval 13–17%).
The No. 1,800 recruit in the country is starting at linebacker in the Big 12 as a redshirt junior.
2026 is in progress.
A stat line in 21 games over four seasons.
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coachPlayed every college season under Kalani Sitake.
