Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 33-10vs Abilene Christian | 3 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 35-24@ Oregon State | 9 | 4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 9 tackles |
| Total | 12 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#15
Austin Romaine
Senior linebacker for Texas Tech. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 240 lb · Hillsboro, MO · Hillsboro
CFB Index 63 · #181 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceTransferred Kansas State → Texas Tech 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
12
tackles · 2026
1 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 9 tackles, at Oregon State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Texas Tech. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Kansas State in 2023.
- Transferred from Kansas State to Texas Tech in 2026.
Austin Romaine
Fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge. Across four seasons and two programs, two head coaches: Chris Klieman and Joey McGuire. Two straight seasons of it now: All-Big 12 again in 2025. The receipt: 9 tackles against Oregon State — Week 2, 2026.
12 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- recognition record
- game log
His career
Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.
20239 games
- Signed with Kansas State3-star out of Hillsboro
202413 games
- All-Big 12second
202510 games
- All-Big 12second
2026
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Trophy case · Confirmed honors
What the selectors said
🎖
ALL-BIG 12 · 2ND TEAM
All-Big 12 2nd team (2025)
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
1 coach2023–2026
Texas Tech
Played his entire career under Joey McGuire.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Texas Tech
2025Kansas State
2026Texas Tech
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Kansas State9-4HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning
2024Kansas State9-4HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning
2025Kansas State6-6HC: Chris Klieman · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2026Texas Tech2-0HC: Joey McGuire · Run-leaning
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
Elite: qb hurries (83rd 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: 6.0 TKL/g, 0.5 TFL/g, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Joey McGuire
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2026
Backup
On the two-deep and pushing for snaps.
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Texas Tech | 12 | 6 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Kansas State | 66 | 41 | 7.0 | 0.5 | 2 | 1 | -- |
| 2024 | Kansas State | 96 | 54 | 7.5 | 2.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Kansas State | 22 | 14 | 3.0 | 1.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 196 | 115 | 18.5 | 3.5 | 4 | 1 | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 33–10
3 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 TFL
Dominant 23-point win at home against Abilene Christian.
With W. Hammond — 298 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · 11 rush yds (2 car) · J. Williams — 71 rush yds (13 car) · 1 TD
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
CFB Index positional classification
DNA match
Player DNA
Thumper
Downhill striker who fills the run lane and blitzes off the edge.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Jimmy Rolder’s 2025 season.
71%match
All-Big TenNFL Rd 4
Matches Jimmy on
Weight
Sack rate
PD rate
Differs from Jimmy on
Hurry rate (higher)
Class year (lower)
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a junior, his production profile tracks closest to Xe'Ree Alexander's junior season at Washington (2025).
77%match
Matches Xe'Ree on
Solo tackle rate
Tackle volume
TFL rate
Differs from Xe'Ree on
Hurry rate (higher)
Player DNA
Players who play like Austin Romaine
Background
CAREER HONORS All-Big 12 Second Team (2025, Jr.) Bronko Nagurski Award Watch List (2025, Jr.) Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List (2025, Jr.) Butkus Award Watch List (2025, Jr.) All-Big 12 Second Team (2024, So.) Associated Press All-Big 12 Second Team (2024, So.) College Sports Communicators Academi...
The linebacker corps · Texas Tech
- #13Ben Roberts88 tackles · 2025
- #6John Curry73 tackles · 2025
- #15Austin Romaine66 tackles · 2025
- #20Adam Trick57 tackles · 2025
- #2Trey White47 tackles · 2025
16 more on the roster · Texas Tech team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology