#21

Branson Combs

Former linebacker at Wake Forest. 2024: 83 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

LB · Wake Forest · Sr. · #21

6′3″ · 222 lb · Evansville, IN

CFB Index 71 · #114 of 571 LBsHigh confidenceAll-ConferenceWake Forest 2024 — college career complete

The story

Former linebacker at Wake Forest. 2024: 83 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

Transferred from Southern Illinois to Wake Forest in 2024.

His career, year by year

How it ended

One season at Wake Forest, 83 tackles — his college career is complete.

His career

Nobody recruited him. He earned the honors anyway.

202410 games

Entered the portal
All-ACCsecond

Career arc

Recruit

—

No recruit profile

CFB

College

Wake Forest

2024

NFL

NFL Draft

—

Not drafted

Trophy case · Confirmed honors

What the selectors said

1 honor

🎖

ALL-ACC · 2ND TEAM

All-ACC 2nd team (2024)

2024 snapshot

Season context · Team result + system

2024Wake Forest4-8HC: Dave Clawson · Balanced

Where this defender ranks vs the field

Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort

71Quality starter #114 of 571?

High confidence8 metrics · season cumulative

Elite: solo tackles (96th percentile). Strength: tackles (96th percentile).

Box-score production (8)

Solo tackles#109 / 2892 · 96th pct

Tackles#122 / 2892 · 96th pct

Tackles for loss#484 / 2892 · 82nd pct

5.5

Sacks#502 / 2892 · 79th pct

2.0

QB hurries#585 / 2892 · 74th pct

Passes defended#1155 / 2892 · 49th pct

Forced fumbles#55 / 700 · 46th pct

Interceptions#314 / 862 · 32nd 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

2024 season · 10 games

Home/Road · Season halves

Home vs Road

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Home5g	8.2	0.6	0.2	0.0
Road5g	8.4	0.5	0.2	0.2

First half vs Second half

	TKL/g	TFL/g	SACK/g	PD/g
Weeks 1-75g	7.4	0.4	0.2	0.0
Weeks 8+5g	9.2	0.7	0.2	0.2

Supporting cast · Scheme

Staff and system around the player

2026 season

Head Coach

Jake Dickert

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

Awards

Player standing · 2024

All-Conference

Picked for an all-conference team by at least one selector.

Recognition

Roster2-deepStarterRecognizedEliteApex

Production · CFB Index Score

71 · #114 of 571 LBs

Career stats

Season	Team
2024	Wake Forest	83	46	5.5	2.0	1	1	--
Career		83	46	5.5	2.0	1	1	--

Signature game

SIGNATURE GAME · Week 1 · 2024

W 45–13

vs North Carolina A&T

1 TFL · 1 SACKS · 3 SOLO

Dominant 32-point win at home against North Carolina A&T.

With T. Morin — 6 rec · 100 yds · H. Bachmeier — 263 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 64.0 · 6 rush yds (2 car)

Game log

Game log · Week-by-week

2024 season · 10 games

Box score · CFBD

Wk	Opp	TKL	SOLO	TFL	SACK	INT	PD	Note
Wk 1	W 45-13vs North Carolina A&T	4	3	1.0	1.0	—	0
Wk 2	L 30-31vs Virginia	14	7	0.0	0.0	—	0	Season-high 14 tackles
Wk 3	L 6-40vs Ole Miss	5	1	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 6	W 34-30@ NC State	5	3	0.0	0.0	1	0
Wk 7	L 14-49vs Clemson	9	4	1.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 8	W 23-20@ UConn	8	6	1.0	0.0	—	1
Wk 9	W 27-24@ Stanford	12	3	1.5	1.0	—	0
Wk 12	L 24-31@ North Carolina	14	11	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 13	L 14-42@ Miami	3	2	0.0	0.0	—	0
Wk 14	L 17-23vs Duke	9	6	1.0	0.0	—	0
Total		83	46	5.5	2.0	1	1

Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology

Branson Combs

202410 games

2024 snapshot

Splits & context

Awards

All-Conference

Career stats

Signature game

Game log

How he plays

DNA match

Balanced Linebacker

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