Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | W 31-3vs Houston Christian | 5 | 1 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Wk 2 | L 0-52@ Notre Dame | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Total | 8 | 3 | 0.5 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#14
Beau Barton
Junior linebacker for Rice. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′2″ · 205 lb · Van, TX · Van
Returning to Rice for 2026
The numbers
8
tackles · 2026
0.5 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL, vs Houston Christian
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
3 linebacker for Rice. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed as a 3-star recruit to Rice in 2023.
Beau Barton
Beau Barton has been at Rice through two head coaches in four seasons. The receipt: 5 tackles, 0.5 TFL against Houston Christian — Week 1, 2026.
8 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
2023
- Signed with Rice3-star out of Van HS
Career arc
HS
Recruit
★★★
CFB
College
Rice
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2023–2026
2 coaches2023–2024
Rice
2025–2026era →
Scott Abell
Rice
Coaching transition mid-career: Mike Bloomgren → Scott Abell. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2023Rice6-7HC: Mike Bloomgren · Balanced, slow tempo
2024Rice4-8HC: Mike Bloomgren · Pass-leaning
2025Rice5-8HC: Scott Abell · Run-heavy
2026Rice1-1HC: Scott Abell · Run-heavy, slow tempo
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
Elite: qb hurries (83rd 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: 4.0 TKL/g, 0.2 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
Scott Abell
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
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2026
W 31–3
5 TOT · 1 SOLO · 0 TFL
Dominant 28-point win at home against Houston Christian.
With Q. Jackson — 61 rush yds (10 car) · 2 TD · C. Durkin — 54 AVG · 54 LONG · 1 NO
Game log
How he plays
2026 Outlook
Rice
2026 Depth chart
Projected starter
Linebacker · Rice
Returning around him
- Transfer portal: -2 net (20 in / 22 out)
2026 Award watch
No preseason watch lists yet (most drop June 15 – July 15)
Rice · Last season: 5-8 · Talent rank #100 · 2026 recruiting class #104
Background
Honors American Conference All-Academic 2026 Pronunciation Guide 2025 Saw action in all 13 games on special teams (77 plays) and added a career-best 21 on defense… Credited with a career-best three tackles vs. Prairie View and added two at UTSA and one vs. UAB. 2024 Played in all 12 games as a st...
The linebacker corps · Rice
- #33Stone Combs72 tackles · 2025
- #54Austin Harnetiaux37 tackles · 2025
- #44Cooper King8 tackles · 2025
- #14Beau Barton6 tackles · 2025
- #34Kaleb Blanton2 games · 2026
2 more on the roster · Rice team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology