#10

Ben Boulware

Linebacker for Clemson. 2016: 116 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks.

LB · Clemson · #10

6′0″ · Anderson, SC

Clemson 2016 alumnus

Recruiting

4★

ILB recruit

No. 184 nationally · Signed with Clemson

Statement game18 tackles · 3 TFL · 1 sackvs Louisville (FBS) · W 42-36

Top 0.1% tackles game since 2021.

His career numbers, season by season

The story

2016 linebacker for Clemson. 2016: 116 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4 sacks.

Signed as a 4-star recruit to Clemson in 2013.

His career, year by year

How it ended

Three seasons at Clemson, 116 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

He barely played early on. Then he did not come off the field.

2013

Signed with Clemson4-star out of T.L. Hanna

Career arc

Recruit

★★★★

#184 national

CFB

College

Clemson

2014–2016

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Coaching lineage · 2014–2016

1 coach

2014–2016

Dabo Swinney

Clemson

Played his entire career under Dabo Swinney.

2016 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

3 seasons under Dabo Swinney — 38-5 over that span.

2014Clemson10-3HC: Dabo Swinney · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2015Clemson14-1HC: Dabo Swinney · Run-leaning, fast tempo

2016Clemson14-1HC: Dabo Swinney · Balanced, fast tempo

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: tackles (99th percentile). Strength: solo tackles (97th percentile). Concern: qb hurries (28th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Tackles#18 / 2668 · 99th pct

116

Solo tackles#69 / 2668 · 97th pct

Tackles for loss#105 / 2668 · 96th pct

11.5

Sacks#208 / 2668 · 91st pct

4.0

Passes defended#754 / 2668 · 65th pct

Forced fumbles#77 / 736 · 45th pct

Interceptions#334 / 763 · 28th pct

QB hurries#1174 / 2668 · 28th pct

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

2016 season · 14 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home7g	9.0	1.1	0.4	0.1
Road7g	7.6	0.6	0.1	0.1

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-78g	8.5	0.8	0.1	0.2
Weeks 8+6g	8.0	0.8	0.5	0.0

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Dabo Swinney

Scheme reads (pass share, tempo, sack rate) need at least 3 team games — 2 games in so far.

Awards

Player standing · 2016

Impact starter

Producing measurably more than a replacement-level starter.

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Career stats

Season	Team
2016	Clemson	116	58	11.5	4.0	2	1	--
2015	Clemson	--	--	--	--	--	2	--
2014	Clemson	--	--	--	--	--	1	--
Career		116	58	11.5	4.0	2	4	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 20 · 2016

W 35–31

at Alabama

1 PD · 6 TOT · 4 SOLO

Edged out Alabama on the road in a shootout.

With D. Watson — 420 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 63.3 · 43 rush yds (21 car) · 1 TD · A. Teasdall — 38 AVG · 47 LONG · 8 NO

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week