Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 49-3vs Alcorn State | 4 | 2 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 4 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 8-43@ Auburn | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#33
Avery Sledge
Senior linebacker for Southern Miss. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 220 lb · Hattiesburg, MS · Forrest County Agricultural HS
CFB Index 2 · #583 of 583 LBsHigh confidenceReturning to Southern Miss 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
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 4 tackles, 1 TFL, vs Alcorn State
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
4 linebacker for Southern Miss. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Mississippi State in 2022.
- Transferred from Mississippi State to Southern Miss in 2024.
Avery Sledge
Is steady in every phase without a signature trait. Avery Sledge has played for five head coaches across five seasons and two programs. The receipt: 4 tackles, 1 TFL against Alcorn State — Week 1, 2026.
5 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- positional archetype classification
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
He was on the field for 5 seasons. That is rarer than it sounds.
2022
- Signed with Mississippi State3-star out of Forrest County Agricultural
20248 games
The role got bigger.
- Entered the portal
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2022–2026
4 coaches2022–2023
Southern Miss
2024era →
Reed Stringer
Southern Miss
Played under 4 different head coaches: Will Hall, Reed Stringer, Charles Huff, and Blake Anderson. Multi-era developmental context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2022Mississippi State9-4HC: Mike Leach · Pass-heavy
2023Mississippi State5-7HC: Greg Knox · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2024Southern Miss1-11HC: Reed Stringer · Run-leaning, slow tempo
2025Southern Miss7-6HC: Charles Huff · Balanced
2026Southern Miss1-1HC: Blake Anderson · Run-leaning, fast tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
High confidence
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, 0.0 SACK/g, 0.0 PD/g — splits start at 3 games.
Supporting cast · Scheme
Staff and system around the player
Head Coach
Blake Anderson
Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.
Awards
Player standing · 2025
Backup
Tackle volume for the position at the early end of the ladder.
Recognition
Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex
Production · CFB Index Score
2 · #583 of 583 LBs
Three-star recruit. Now #583 at the position.
2026 outlook
Outside shot for All-Sun Belt
Based on 2025: #63 of 63 Sun Belt LBs
How the All-Sun Belt estimate is computed
15% estimated, 95% confidence interval 13–17%. Base rate measured from players who finished at a comparable rank in their conference and came back the next season. It is an estimate from a small sample, not a forecast of this player.
Career stats
| Season | Team | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Southern Miss | 5 | 3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Southern Miss | 15 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2024 | Southern Miss | 13 | 9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
| 2023 | Mississippi State | 2 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2022 | Mississippi State | 1 | -- | 0.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| Career | 36 | 18 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 2 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 49–3
vs Alcorn State
4 TOT · 2 SOLO · 1 TFL
Dominant 46-point win at home against Alcorn State.
With M. Johnson — 13 rush yds (1 car) · E. Hampton — 180 yds · 1 TD · 1 INT · 15 rush yds (3 car)
Game log
How he plays
Play style
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
CFB Index positional classification
2026 Outlook
Southern Miss
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Southern Miss
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: +10 net (38 in / 28 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Southern Miss · Last season: 7-6 · Talent rank #94 · 2026 recruiting class #108
DNA match
Player DNA
Balanced Linebacker
Solid in every phase without a signature dimension.
LB
His 2025 production profile sits closest to Tim Terry Jr.’s 2021 season.
Matches Tim on
PD rate
Weight
Tackle volume
Not enough data yet for this comparison.
As a senior, his production profile tracks closest to Marc Pretto's senior season at Northern Illinois (2025).
Matches Marc on
Solo tackle rate
Weight
Sack rate
Background
2025 (R-Jr.): Played in 12 games…Used mostly on special teams…Tallied 15 tackles (six solo) with a half tackle for loss against Louisiana (10/18) and a fumble recovery versus Jacksonville State (9/27)…Had season-high four stops at South Alabama (11/22). 2023 (R-Fr., Mississippi State): Appeared i...
The linebacker corps · Southern Miss
- #53Joseph Harper50 tackles · 2025
- #42Melvin Spriggs45 tackles · 2025
- #13Mathis Haygood44 tackles · 2025
- #33Avery Sledge15 tackles · 2025
- #32Peyton Anderson1 tackle · 2025
9 more on the roster · Southern Miss team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology