Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 59-14vs Miami (OH) | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 12-7vs UCF | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 3 tackles |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | — | 0 |
#10
Alex Sanford Jr.
Senior linebacker for Pittsburgh. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′1″ · 235 lb · Oxford, MS · Oxford
CFB Index 31 · #455 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Purdue → Pittsburgh 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
5
tackles · 2026
1 TFL · 1 sacks
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 3 tackles, 1 TFL, 1 sacks, vs UCF
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Pittsburgh. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Arkansas in 2023.
- Transferred from Purdue to Pittsburgh in 2026.
Alex Sanford Jr.
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Across three seasons and three programs, three head coaches: Sam Pittman, Barry Odom and Pat Narduzzi. The receipt: 3 tackles, 1 sacks against UCF — Week 2, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 1 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Arkansas3-star out of Oxford
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
3 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023
Pittsburgh
2025–2026
Pittsburgh
Played his entire career under Pat Narduzzi.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Pittsburgh
2025Purdue
2026Pittsburgh
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Arkansas4-8HC: Sam Pittman · Run-leaning
2025Purdue2-10HC: Barry Odom · Balanced
2026Pittsburgh2-0HC: Pat Narduzzi · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: sacks (87th percentile). 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: 2.5 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.5 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Pat Narduzzi
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
31 · #455 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #455 at the position.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Pittsburgh | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Purdue | 47 | 18 | 3.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Arkansas | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 53 | 22 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 12–7
vs UCF
3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 SACKS
A wire-to-wire battle — won by 5 at home.
With G. Russo — 40 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 51 LONG · M. Heintschel — 212 yds · 0 TD · 0 INT · QBR 44.1 · 13 rush yds (7 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Caden Fordham’s 2023 season.
85%match
Matches Caden on
Solo tackle rate
Weight
Tackle volume
Differs from Caden on
Hurry rate (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a sophomore, his production profile tracks closest to Isaiah Jones's sophomore season at Indiana (2024).
85%match
All-Big Ten
Matches Isaiah on
Sack rate
Tackle volume
PD rate
Player DNA
Players who play like Alex Sanford Jr.
Background
Enrolled at the University of Pittsburgh in January 2026 following his transfer from Purdue. PURDUE (2025): Appeared in all 12 games, making nine starts in his first year with the Boilermakers…finished the season with 46 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, one pass breakup and one fumble recovery…logg...
The linebacker corps · Pittsburgh
- Braylan Lovelace79 tackles · 2025
- #31Demarco Ward50 tackles · 2025
- #10Alex Sanford Jr.47 tackles · 2025
- #24Cameron Lindsey32 tackles · 2025
- #52Abe Ibrahim16 tackles · 2025
9 more on the roster · Pittsburgh team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology