Game log · Week-by-week
2026 season · 2 games
| Wk | Opp | TKL | SOLO | TFL | SACK | INT | PD | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | L 24-31@ West Virginia | 2 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | |
| Wk 2 | W 45-7vs Fordham | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | Season-high 5 tackles |
| Total | 7 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | — | 0 |
#11
Braxton Starnes
Sophomore linebacker for Coastal Carolina. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
6′3″ · 225 lb · Hamshire, TX · Hamshire-Fannett
Transferred Missouri State → Coastal Carolina for 2026
The numbers
7
tackles · 2026
1 TFL
2 games into 2026 so far -- Best game: 5 tackles, vs Fordham
His career numbers, season by seasonThe story
2 linebacker for Coastal Carolina. 2026: 2 games with a box-score line.
- Signed with Missouri State in 2025.
Braxton Starnes
Two head coaches in two seasons, at two different programs. The receipt: 5 tackles against Fordham — Week 2, 2026.
7 TACKLES · 0 SACKS
Low coverage — composed from the verified record.
- season totals
- head-coach lineage
- game log
His career
20254 games
- Signed with Missouri Stateout of Hamshire-Fannett
Career arc
HS
Recruit
—
CFB
College
2 teams
NFL
NFL Draft
—
Coaching lineage · 2025–2026
2 coaches2025
Jeremiah Johnson
Coastal Carolina
2026era →
Ryan Beard
Coastal Carolina
Coaching transition mid-career: Jeremiah Johnson → Ryan Beard. Worth noting in scheme + development context.
Where He Ended Up · Transfer
Transferred to Coastal Carolina
2025Missouri State
2026Coastal Carolina
2026 snapshot
Season context · Team result + system
2025Missouri State7-6HC: Nick Petrino · Balanced
2026Coastal Carolina1-1HC: Ryan Beard · Balanced
Where this defender ranks vs the field
Box-score production percentiles vs the position cohort
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: 3.5 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
Ryan Beard
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 | Coastal Carolina | 7 | 1 | 1.0 | 0.0 | -- | -- | -- |
| 2025 | Missouri State | 5 | 3 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
| Career | 12 | 4 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 1 | -- | -- |
Signature game
SIGNATURE GAME · Week 2 · 2026
W 45–7
vs Fordham
5 TOT
Dominant 38-point win at home against Fordham.
With R. Podesta — 39 AVG · 3 IN 20 · 48 LONG · D. Bailey — 203 yds · 3 TD · 0 INT · QBR 30.0 · 21 rush yds (4 car)
Game log
Background
2025 (Freshman) - Missouri State Appeared in six games Recorded three tackles and one pass breakup Made his collegiate debut against UT Martin Registered two tackles and a pass breakup in the Xbox Bowl against Arkansas State Earned the coaching staff's Special Teams Showtime Player of the Game ho...
The linebacker corps · Coastal Carolina
- #55Tray Brown53 tackles · 2025
- #19Se'Von McDowell45 tackles · 2025
- #34Wyatt Gedeon11 tackles · 2025
- #4Marcellius Pulliam8 tackles · 2025
- #11Braxton Starnes5 tackles · 2025
5 more on the roster · Coastal Carolina team page
Stats from CFBD · ESPN · fan discourse. Every figure computed from source tables — not invented. Methodology