AJ Tuitele
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Played for two head coaches at two programs in two seasons: Lincoln Riley and Tosh Lupoi. A game that shows it: 8 tackles against NC State — Week 9, 2026.
49 tackles · 3 sacks
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
Activity vs finishing · season enumeration
What the box score actually says
49 tackles. 0 passes defended. 0 interceptions. 4.5 TFL.
Counts only, never a rate — splash-event sample sizes this small (interceptions, pass breakups, TFL) are noise as a rate and signal only as a tally.
Closest statistical matches, adjusted for opponent strength.
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Season | Team | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | California | 49 | 19 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
| 2025 | USC | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Career | 50 | 19 | 4.5 | 3.0 |
Last game (Wk 9): 8 tackles.
Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 9 games
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-45vs UCLA | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 21-18@ Syracuse | 6 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 3 | W 49-7vs Wagner | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 4 | L 10-24vs Clemson | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 5 | L 31-39@ UNLV | 7 | 4 | 2.0 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 sacks |
| Wk 6 | W 25-20vs Virginia Tech | 6 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 7 | L 7-41vs No. 21 Wake Forest | 5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 8 | L 20-59@ No. 23 SMU | 6 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 9 | L 10-31@ NC State | 9 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Total | 49 | 19 | 4.5 | 3.0 | — | 0 |
Oct. 31 · L 10-31 at NC State, play by play
9 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 8 of his 9, sacks included.
His game this year: disruption in the backfield — 4 tackles for loss, 3 of them sacks, in the 9 games with play by play.
How California’s defense played that day
NC State’s 13 drives: 8 stopped (1 takeaway) · 5 scored. While the game was within a score they held 6 of 10.
6 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 7 for him; the box score credits 6.
5 tackles.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
6 tackles, including 1 more for loss. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 7 for him; the box score credits 6.
7 tackles, including 2 sacks, tied for 5th-most sacks in FBS that week.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
Sacked the quarterback for a 11-yard loss on 3rd and 2. Fourth quarter, down 24-18.
4 tackles, including 1 sack.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play: 3 of his 4, sacks included.
Sacked the quarterback for a 8-yard loss. Second quarter, down 10-7.
2 tackles. He hurried the quarterback twice.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. His sacks are drawn as sacks.
6 tackles. He hurried the quarterback once.
Each small tick is one of his tackles on the play-by-play. It places 7 for him; the box score credits 6.
Ratings of the games shown run from -3 to +14 points against an average team (SP+ rating of each opponent).
Where his impact shows up on the stat sheet
Tackle volume
49tackles this seasonTFL rate
9%4 TFLSack rate
6%3 sacksPD rate
0%0 pass breakups49 tackles · 4.5 for loss · 3 sacks.
Splits · Per-game
2026 season · 9 games
Home vs Road
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home5g | 4.2 | 0.5 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Road4g | 7.0 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
First half vs Second half
| TKL/g | TFL/g | SACK/g | PD/g | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weeks 1-77g | 4.9 | 0.6 | 0.4 | 0.0 |
| Weeks 8+2g | 7.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Tosh Lupoi
Pass share
61.4%
386 pass / 243 run
Plays / game
69.9
9 games
Team sack rate
3.9%
432 dropbacks · PBP
Scheme: Pass-leaning.
Player standing · 2026
About as many tackles a game as a typical FBS linebacker who plays every week.
Recognition
Production · CFB Zeitgeist Score
Three-star recruit. Now #90 at the position.
2026 is in progress.
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coachesPlayed for 2 head coaches at 2 schools: Lincoln Riley and Tosh Lupoi.
Next stop · Transfer
Transferred to California
